


Beloved Concubine

by Spunky0ne



Category: Bleach
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-06-01
Updated: 2017-08-05
Packaged: 2017-12-13 15:42:45
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 12
Words: 38,069
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/825968
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spunky0ne/pseuds/Spunky0ne
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When the Kuchiki elders force lovers Byakuya and Ichigo to agree to impregnate a clan concubine in exchange for their blessing for the two to marry, Tetsuya is chosen to be their concubine. But Orochi swears to destroy anyone who touches Tetsuya, whom he still believes to be his, even years after the destruction of the noble's prison. Bya/Ichi/Tetsuya w/some Orochi/Tet non-con.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Love's Tender Blossoming

Beloved Concubine

_(A request by ByaltaSensei! This is a Byakuya/Ichigo/Tetsuya threesome with some non-con Orochi/Tetsuya (unedited version is here!), and marks the beginning of the monthlong tidal wave of Tetsuya related fics. This month, our sweet Tetsuya will be 'loved' by Byakuya, Sousuke Aizen, Renji, Ichigo, Orochi, Koji, King Hiromi and the cute Rikichi, along with anyone else readers want to suggest. I will be updating any and all stories he is in, whether he is the main character or not. So, you will see stories like Heart Crafting, The Sacrifice, Chrysalis and Ice Blossom, as well as Bya/Ren's like Always My Taichou, Nightmare in Red, On Top, The Woman in Me, Whispers and other pairing stories, such as The Demon Inside Me, *new story* The Animal in Me, Blood Rain and Longings. Happy Birthday month, Tetsuya! And many happy and tormenting...ahem...'gifts' for you!)_

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Chapter 1: Love's Tender Blossoming

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_Love blossoms like a fragrant rose, unfurling itself and falling over the senses, wrapping around the soul. All along the way, thorns line the tender stem...there to protect, but a danger also to the protector..._

XXXXXXXXXX

"You look very content, Cousin," Tetsuya commented, his dark sapphire eyes admiring the unusually happy expression that Byakuya wore as he climbed up behind the younger noble on the tall black stallion's back and wrapped his arms around Tetsuya's slim waist, "I take it that your Valentine's celebrations with Kurosaki Ichigo went well?"

"Better than that, actually," Byakuya said in an abnormally relaxed and pleasant tone, "Tetsuya, I took your advice."

"What advice was that?" Tetsuya asked, looking between Arashi's perked ears and down the pathway.

"I threw caution to the wind. I couldn't help myself, actually. When I arrived, Ichigo had the dining area and living room decorated and softly lit for our evening. And he had already made dinner for us. Dessert, we made together, amidst much distraction. Fortunately, the dish we made tolerated the interruptions quite well."

"And then?" Tetsuya asked, arching a delicate eyebrow.

"While his face was still decorated with strawberry glaze from our culinary foreplay, I asked him to marry me."

Tetsuya's bright smile warmed even more.

"Byakuya-sama!" he whispered.

"He was completely taken by surprise," Byakuya said, barely able to stifle a soft chuckle, "He just stood there, staring at me with strawberry glaze all over his terribly surprised face. Then...well, then we celebrated, of course."

"So, he said yes?" Tetsuya queried.

"He said yes," Byakuya confirmed softly.

A troubled look touched Tetsuya's features for a moment.

"And how did he weather the council's likely response? Did you warn him that they would likely oppose the marriage?"

"Yes," the clan leader answered, his eyes darkening slightly, "Fortunately, Ichigo is not one who scares easily. He assured me that between the two of us, we will convince the council to allow the marriage. After all, we are talking about Shiba Ichigo, the Shiba clan heir and savior several times over of Soul Society. The council has to look past the end of it's unsightly nose and see that!"

"One would think," Tetsuya agreed, blinking sleepily as weariness began to overtake him, "But they will also consider the fact that even though Ichigo is of very respectable blood, giving him your hand will mean that neither of you will bring children to your respective clans. He is the most powerful shinigami alive, and you are the most powerful leader ever to head the Kuchiki family. Do you think they would be mollified if you and Ichigo agreed to lie with clan concubines to preserve your legacies of power?"

Byakuya was quiet for several long minutes, then sighed softly and closed his eyes, his arms tightening slightly around his cousin.

"We spoke of that," he admitted barely audibly, "And neither of us can stomach the idea of doing something like that. We understand the desire, even responsibility to continue those legacies of power, but we could not bear the idea of being with someone we do not know...having children with women who will be used, but never named and honored by the clan. It seems wrong to us. But we must come up with another way. And we must think of that way quickly. The elders know that Ichigo and I have been secretly meeting. I do not know who said something, but word got back to them."

Tetsuya frowned.

"But I've watched over your meetings carefully. I haven't sensed anything, not anyone."

"And I have been exceedingly careful in who knows. I have only told Rukia and Renji and our attendants, and I know none of them would do anything to let that information fall into the elders' hands. But it doesn't really matter how they know. All that matters is finding a way to appease them."

Tetsuya cleared his throat softly and started to speak, but stopped as he sensed a probing reiatsu somewhere in the forest, ahead of them. Byakuya tensed as he sensed it as well, then relaxed slightly as Tetsuya's shikai instantly engaged.

"Touei, Re-kuhime," he intoned very softly.

Instantly, the bodies of the two men and the stallion they rode, lost their natural color and took on the translucent nature of water. Barely visible and made silent, they moved forward cautiously, watching the trail ahead of them and listening for any sound of pursuit.

"Can you sense who it is?" Tetsuya breathed softly.

"No, it is well masked."

"Then, this is someone powerful, perhaps an elder."

"Yes."

"Byakuya-sama, you should return to the escape form I left in your bed."

"But use of the escape form registers in the reiatsu in both places. I would give away your position to whoever awaits us. I will not leave you alone to face whoever this is."

"Byakuya-sama, Arashi and I can handle this. We are your bodyguards. You must have faith in us."

"It is not a lack of faith, I assure you," Byakuya insisted, "I think it would be unwise to confirm for them that either of us was out here tonight. It will only fuel their suspicions."

"Ah, yes, there is that."

 _Do you want me to track them?_ Arashi whispered into their minds.

"No," Tetsuya answered, looking in the direction Arashi had been, "We cannot address whoever it is this way, with Byakuya-sama returning from a meeting with him. We must get Byakuya-sama home, and then you and I can worry about coming back out here in the morning and tracking the person or persons involved. It would be too risky to try to follow them right now. Byakuya-sama is supposed to be at home, in bed."

 _I did not sense any disturbance around the waterform you left in his place_ , Arashi noted.

"No, it has not been detected. And if anyone had come to wake Byakuya-sama, or an emergency had arisen, he would have returned to the waterform there instantly. I wonder how whoever this is, knew."

_I cannot fathom it._

"Neither can I," Byakuya said softly.

"We've moved past them," Tetsuya reported, "But we will remain in this form until you are returned to your bed for the night."

"Very well," the clan leader agreed.

Arashi moved forward, his footsteps silent, and remaining carefully in the shadows. The waterform, he knew, was barely visible, but the bright moon could easily expose them. The three went quiet, listening to the cool night sound, the soft breeze through the trees, whispers of splashing water nearby, and the gentle noises of nighttime birds and insects. No sound reached them from whomever had been seeking them. And as Arashi passed through the rear gate, into the gardens, they breathed a sigh of relief.

The two men slid off of the stallion's back and walked cautiously back to their rooms, slipping inside and replacing the waterforms that Tetsuya had left in their places.

Tetsuya expected Koji to appear, his trusted attendant being deeply sensitive to his master's coming and going. But Koji's reiatsu remained quiet and distant in sleep, even as Tetsuya undressed, then laid down in his bed and began to drift off.

He had just fallen into sleep, when a soft footstep sounded, outside the open garden doors. A dark figure with carefully masked reiatsu slipped into the room and approached his bed. Dark, coal black eyes looked down on Tetsuya's lovely, sleep-relaxed body, and the man's lips curled into a wicked smirk. He reached down and touched Tetsuya's cheek, where a hidden seal flared, hypnotizing the younger man as he came awake, and keeping him from resisting or objecting as the intruder slipped out of his clothes and into bed with him.

"Miwaku, Kurohebi,"

Two large, black snakes slithered from out of the man's hands, and took up entrance at each door, turning their red eyes outward.

"That will keep us from having any interruptions," he said, looking down into Tetsuya's wide, confused blue eyes, "Now then, before we get to what I want to talk to you about, why don't you do something to relax me. It has been a long day."

He sat facing his younger cousin, leaning forward to taste his soft lips briefly, then weaving his fingers into Tetsuya's wavy hair and curling his hand around the back of the younger man's neck. Tetsuya flinched slightly in protest, but could not resist his cousin's insidious power, so slowly fell more deeply under his spell, and moved with the hand that guided him down onto hand and knees between his cousin's thighs. The black-eyed man smiled cruelly, capturing his inflamed member with his free hand, and guiding it to Tetsuya's parted lips.

Well accustomed to the frequent ritual, Tetsuya latched on to his cousin's arousal, stroking with a practiced tongue, and sucking hard, the way his cousin preferred it. The black-eyed man panted softly, gazing down at Tetsuya's pretty face and inwardly hating him for being so beautiful, so soft, so desirable. Looking at Tetsuya's face made him want to scream obscenities at the younger man, to hurt him in every way imaginable. But he knew better than to leave a single mark on Tetsuya's pale skin.

_Byakuya would know._

_And then, we would have no more of these lovely nights together._

_It is ironic, no? That this dirty little half-blood can tempt a pureblood like me into this. But his face is so beguiling, his skin so soft. I have never met anyone who makes me feel like this. I hate him, yes._

_But, I cannot resist him._

_So, he will pay for luring me by serving me this way. And any who try to approach him will be repelled. No one but me will ever touch him._

_Tetsuya is mine._

He slipped a hand under Tetsuya's chin and leaned back slightly, watching intently as his member slid in and out of that pristine mouth. Tetsuya's eyes remained glazed over and senseless, but his body moved at his wicked cousin's direction, sucking and licking him until he was on the verge of bliss. He shoved his cock in deeply as he came, nearly choking Tetsuya, even though he knew well enough to expect it. It seemed the sweet jolts of orgasm would never stop, as he defiled his too pretty, half-blooded cousin with his seed, then dragged him up into a barrage of hard, open-mouthed kisses, so that he could taste himself on the younger man's lips.

He looked down at Tetsuya's awakened member and nodded approvingly.

"You want me?" he asked softly, "You want me to grant you pleasure?"

Tetsuya panted feverishly against the disgraceful words that welled up in his mouth as his cousin released it.

"Y-yes, Orochi-sama," he breathed shakily.

Orochi smiled and sought his lips again, sliding a hand down to touch him as they kissed. Tetsuya winced as his cousin slid the tight restraining ring onto his aching hardness, then stroked him teasingly.

"You will have to earn it," Orochi hissed softly, "You know how. Tell me. Tell me what his plans are."

Tetsuya pressed his face into Orochi's strong shoulder, unable to comprehend what his cousin was doing to him, but feeling enough of a sense of wrongness about what was happening to fight the order.

"Come now, Tetsuya," Orochi whispered into his flushed ear, stroking his painfully erect penis and moving down to caress his soft, warm sac in a way that was physically gentle, but mentally terrifying, "You know that I am stronger than you are. You can only resist for so long."

Tetsuya panted harder, groaning in distress as Orochi's fingers sought his mouth and he couldn't help but suck them wantonly, wetting them with his saliva. Orochi glared into his eyes in a way that made him shiver as he slowly removed his fingers from Tetsuya's mouth, then coaxed a piqued moan from the younger man by teasing his nipples roughly, before seeking his well-used entrance. Tetsuya sucked in a pained breath as the fingers thrust into his body suddenly and painfully. But he knew better than to make a sound.

"That's right. Be quiet," Orochi warned him, "Whisper to me what I want to know, and I will make you scream with pleasure. Hold back and you will scream from what I will do to you."

Tetsuya's teeth clenched and a sob escaped him as he tried to hold on to his own will. But growing impatient, Orochi leaned forward and bit down on his cousin's throat, invoking another of his powers and slowly infusing his gentle cousin with more controlling reiatsu.

"You are being exceptionally difficult tonight."

"I...Orochi-sama, I..."

"Give me what I want, Tetsuya," his cousin ordered him, "Or this will become painful."

He was surprised at how long the younger man was able to resist the overwhelming effects of the snake sigil on his cheek and the added infusion of controlling reiatsu. It was a testament to Tetsuya's increasing power, that he was becoming more and more unmanageable.

"Very well, then," he sighed finally, glaring into Tetsuya's glazed eyes, "You leave me no choice."

Orochi closed his eyes and carefully raised a reiatsu and sound suppressing cage around them, then shoved Tetsuya down and forced his way in between his legs from behind, grabbing the younger man's hips roughly and holding him tightly in place as he positioned his member at the bruised entrance, then took cousin forcefully, in a single, vicious thrust. Tetsuya bit down on the scream that tried to escape him and braced himself as the heavy thrusting began.

He didn't want to feel anything. He hated the way his older cousin could arouse him and resisted to the ends of his strength. His upper body collapsed on the bed, and he closed his eyes, trying not to feel anything as Orochi's thrusting cock penetrated him repeatedly, crashing into the sensitive nerves inside him and riling his own resisting member. And though it made him want to scream in fury, all that the charm that controlled him would allow were panting breaths and sounds of dark pleasure. It made him want to hate himself as much as he knew Orochi hated him.

But doing that would allow his older cousin to win complete dominance.

_I...won't let him..._

So, he shouldered the pain bravely, holding back saying anything and paying the price as Orochi's patience gave way and he abandoned all gentleness. Tetsuya was forced to yield cries of pain and his lips formed pleas for mercy and completion that he never would have willingly said. But, despite everything, they held back the information that Orochi so wanted to extract from him. And finally, his elder cousin cursed furiously and gave in to the wicked pleasure Tetsuya's body teased him with. He gasped as the heavy jolts of release shook his sweating body again, and he emptied himself into his younger cousin. He laid for a long time after, panting against Tetsuya's pale shoulder and hating the younger man for being strong enough to hold back.

But he knew better than to take things any further.

_Byakuya would sense it._

_No, I dare not push things any farther right now. I only wish that I had been able to learn what our leader and his dirty-blooded Shiba lover were plotting tonight! It would have been fulfilling to have something damning to use in the confrontation tomorrow. But, truthfully, we have all we need to corner him. He won't have a choice this time. He will either have to give in and impregnate a clan concubine, which I know he is loathe to do, or he will have to step down as leader. And if he does that, I am the next most powerful clan member._

He glared down at his, now sleeping, cousin.

_And once I am leader, I can use that last secret that Tetsuya keeps to force him to become my concubine. I won't have to hide it anymore, the wicked things I do to him. As leader, he will be my servant. There will be nothing that Byakuya can do to protect him at all then._

He deepened Tetsuya's sleep, then removed the restrictive device from his softened member. With careful hands, he healed every visible mark on the younger man's body, leaving only the aches and pains behind as evidence. As he finished, he leaned down and kissed Tetsuya with unusual gentleness.

"You have been mine from the moment you came of age in the prison, and I laid with you for the first time. It doesn't matter that the prison walls are gone, and you are free of that place. You are not free of me, Tetsuya. I am a poison that lives on in your veins. And as long as that is true, no one else will ever love you. You are mine alone."

Orochi recalled the snakes at the doorways to Tetsuya's room, then masked all traces of his presence. He took a last look at Tetsuya's curled form and slipped out into the night, piqued at not having everything as he would have liked it, but still warmed by Tetsuya's attentions.

_It is only too bad that he will think that our lovemaking was all a dream...or rather, a nightmare._

_I want him to remember._

_I want him to know._

_I want him to know he has no choice but to love and obey..._

_Only me_.


	2. Cornered

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A Kuchiki elder reveals something unique about Tetsuya.

"Tetsuya-san," Koji said softly, approaching the bed, where his cousin laid, still sleeping, "Are you all right?"

Tetsuya's eyes opened and blinked several times, then focused on Koji and cleared.

"Ah, Koji-san. Did I oversleep?"

"I didn't let you," his cousin said, smiling as he laid out Tetsuya's kimono for the council meeting, "You said that this morning's meeting was important, so I made sure you woke in plenty of time."

"Thank you."

"Would you like some ginger tea? You look unwell."

"I don't feel very well," Tetsuya admitted, wondering at the ache in his belly, and the uncomfortable sensation between his thighs, "I think that I will go and have a quick shower before I dress."

"You don't want to go to the bathing room?" the attendant queried, frowning, "You look like you could use a gentle massage to settle you."

"Oh, thank you for the offer, but I don't think there's time for..."

"Nonsense, Tetsuya-san," Koji said, starting to pull the blankets back, then pausing and staring in surprise as Tetsuya's hands stopped his.

"Please, Koji, I just...need some time to myself before the meeting. I will want the ginger tea when I am done showering."

"Oh...of course, Tetsuya-san. Gomen nasai, I didn't mean to be a bother."

"You aren't," Tetsuya said, his voice softening, "I am just...distracted this morning."

"I understand. I will go and prepare that tea for you."

"Thank you, Koji."

Tetsuya flinched as movement caused twinges of pain in his loins and back, and his skin seemed to burn softly.

_What is wrong with me?_

He walked into the bathroom, closing and locking the door behind him, then started the shower and undressed. He looked at himself quietly in the mirror and found nothing amiss.

_I feel pain, but see nothing to explain it._

He shook his head and tried to refocus his mind on the meeting that was about to begin. He started to wash himself, wondering inwardly what the council would say, and whether Byakuya would be forced to reveal his affection for Ichigo. He managed to distract himself with the hundreds of questions, and dozed on his feet, letting the hot water run down his slender body, washing away his intense emotions. He had almost calmed, when a flash image invaded his thoughts.

"Now then, before we get to what I want to talk to you about, why don't you do something to relax me? It has been a long day."

He shivered, trying to remember if Orochi had ever really said those words to him.

_I don't remember that conversation..._

_Was it when I was in the prison?_

He closed his eyes, trying harder to remember, but unable to connect with the memory. And in the end, he was forced to abandon the pursuit as the water from the shower cooled, and he hastily attended to washing himself. He paused, frowning at the unusual slickness along his inner thigh. He tried again to remember if there had been anything unusual about the night before.

_All I can recall is returning to my room. I don't remember lying down or what I was thinking about just before dropping off._

_Strange..._

He let the cooling water run down his slender body, washing the soap away, then sighed and turned the water off, before stepping out of the shower and drying himself off. Koji was waiting in the dressing area when he exited the bathroom. He dressed the distracted noble as Tetsuya stared ahead blankly, barely attending.

_Did something happen?_

He thought again of the words he remembered were said in Orochi's voice, but whose time he couldn't place. A shiver passed through him, and he caught sight of Koji observing him silently as he set Tetsuya's kimono in place.

"Where is Byakuya-sama?" Tetsuya asked, hoping to take his attendant's focus off of him.

"He went to the sixth division this morning," Koji answered, "He said to tell you that he would be leaving from there for the meeting."

"Ah."

"You look nicely turned out, Tetsuya-san," the attendant said, nodding, "Your tea will be served in the gardens. Will you need anything else?"

"No, thank you, Koji. You may go."

Tetsuya left his room and stepped out into the gardens, breathing in the fresh air and the sweet scents of grass and flowers. He walked to the patio table and sat down as a culinary attendant served his tea.

"Good morning, Cousin," said Rukia, smiling at him as she joined him at the table.

"Good morning, Rukia-chan," he greeted her, glad for the distraction.

"Tetsuya-san, you look very pale. Are you all right?" Rukia asked.

"I have been better," he admitted, "It is probably all of the nonsense with the council. Even having gained a seat among them, I wonder sometimes if anyone can make them see reality. Some of them live in such close confines, ideologically. They wouldn't know if a new or different approach was a good one, because they simply refuse to even look at the..."

He let out a frustrated breath.

"Sorry. I was going on."

Rukia's smiled warmed him inside.

"You are under a lot of stress, watashi no itoko," she said bracingly, "And part of it is because of that fool, Ichigo, ne? For all that Nii-sama is trying to be discreet, that idiot can't hide a thing! He doesn't concentrate at all in his training with Urahara-san, and he is..."

"Byakuya-sama asked Ichigo-san to marry him last night," Tetsuya whispered, scanning the area around them carefully.

Rukia's eyes widened.

"He did?" she whispered back excitedly, "Oh, Tetsuya-san, no wonder you are beside yourself! It's...wonderful, but, you must be going out of your mind trying to think of how to approach the rest of the elders with it."

"We are," Tetsuya admitted, "And to make matters worse, I think that the others already know something is going on, although they probably do not know that Byakuya-sama plans to marry Ichigo-san."

Rukia's smile faded.

"Nii-sama is going to have to be careful, Tetsuya-san," she sighed, "They are so difficult to deal with sometimes. Although, having you on the council has helped Nii-sama a great deal. I know it's stressful for you."

"But things will never change if we only stick to what we are already doing, so someone has to take the risk of calling for change."

"Oh," Rukia said worriedly, checking the time, "I have to report in at my division, then I think I will go and tell that idiot friend of mine to tone it down or he's going to get Nii-sama assassinated!"

"I don't think they will go that far," Tetsuya chuckled, standing with her and offering her a warm parting embrace, "Have an enjoyable day, Rukia-chan."

"I will," laughed Rukia, "Don't let those old men push you around, Tetsuya-san!"

"Oh, I will have them seeing things my way soon," he promised.

He watched quietly as she left, then slid back into his seat. He lifted his cup and took a sip, then frowned and set the cup down, his eyes narrowing as Kuchiki Orochi stepped into the gardens and joined him at the table.

"Good morning, Cousin," Orochi greeted him, a slight mocking air to the words, "You look tired. Didn't sleep well last night? Guard duty or something?"

"Something like that," Tetsuya said cryptically, "What brings you to the manor?"

"I was in the area," Orochi answered, "I just thought I would drop by as I passed and perhaps join anyone walking over to the council hall."

"Well, Byakuya-sama is not going from here, but from the sixth division, and everyone else from here, who is going, has already gone, save me."

"And you think yourself too poor company for me? Is that it?" Orochi asked, smirking, "Don't worry. You still rate above walking alone."

You fool, Orochi! I see right through you. And I will not give you anything.

"How very gracious," Tetsuya said dryly, "But why do you want to walk with me? You've nothing better to do but to exchange barbs with me?"

"You're somewhat bent out of shape this morning," Orochi noted, looking amused, "Up late, Tetsuya? A long ride through the forest? Some moongazing in Karakura Town, perhaps?"

"Just the usual," Tetsuya sighed, abandoning his tea and joining his cousin as he started towards the council hall, "Boring guard duty. And yourself?"

"Hmmm, research," the black-eyed man replied, eyeing him for a moment, "You know that the elders are not going to let Byakuya's silly, romantic antics go on, don't you?"

"I don't know what you mean," Tetsuya said in a quiet, distant tone, "And why do you concern yourself so much with our leader's love life? haven't you one of your own?"

"Why?" Orochi teased him, "Are you wanting to abandon your long years of unintentional celibacy, Tetsuya? I know some friends who don't concern themselves so much with breeding..."

Tetsuya didn't answer, but only tightened his lips and looked away, ignoring the obvious insult.

"Oh, sorry. Touched a nerve?" Orochi went on, casually, "I know you're sensitive about that."

"You don't know anything about me anymore, Orochi-san," Tetsuya said, his frown deepening, "I am far from that pathetic, powerless prisoner you remember me as."

"Not so far as you think, Cousin."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Tetsuya said, stopping just short of the entrance to the council hall.

Orochi gave him a smug smile.

"Oh, nothing. Nice walking and chatting with you, Tetsuya. See you inside."

Tetsuya shook his head and let out a piqued breath.

"Bastard," he whispered, "You'd have me back in that cell and be raping me almost nightly again if we were back there. But we're not. And I am not going to let you get to me!"

"Tetsuya?"

"Hai, Byakuya-sama," Tetsuya said, breaking out of his thoughts as Byakuya greeted him.

He froze and sucked in a surprised breath as he noticed that Ichigo stood at his leader's side.

"B-byakuya-sama?" he queried uncertainly.

"I have decided to just face them down," Byakuya said calmly, "I won't let that group of old men dictate my life. I never have, and I won't start now. I am going to marry Kurosaki Ichigo, and that is final. I won't tolerate them trying to interfere with me anymore."

Tetsuya started to answer, but was stopped as the gathering bell rang, and they turned to enter the council hall.

_This is reckless._

_Byakuya-sama, you must be careful._

The three proceeded up the hall steps and into the entry, then followed the elders into the council meeting chambers, where Byakuya took his place at the head of the table and Tetsuya sat down at his right. An attendant set a chair slightly behind the two, and Ichigo sat down, as the rest of the elders took their places. Tetsuya smiled over his shoulder at the Shiba heir, and Ichigo grinned back at him. They turned their attention to the senior elder as he cleared his throat, then called the meeting to order.

"Welcome," he said solemnly, "Fumio, you will note the date and time, and read the agenda, please?"

"The date and time are recorded, and the agenda for the meeting is as follows. This is a special meeting of council, called by the council, to address rumors of impropriety between our leader, Kuchiki Byakuya and the Shiba heir, Shiba Ichigo."

"Sorry to interrupt," Ichigo said, drawing all eyes to him, "But, I don't go by that name. If you want to refer to me, I am Kuroaki Ichigo. That hasn't changed."

"Kurosaki Ichigo, then," Fumio said, giving the shinigami substitute a dark look, "This is the only item on our agenda. Our council has come to agreement that the relationship that appears to exist between our leader and the Shiba heir, violates the rules and mores that guide our clan. Therefore, we must come to agreement about how that is to be handled."

"Thank you, Fumio," Senior Councilor Nori said, nodding, "Let me begin by first addressing the evidence we are to consider..."

"If you will excuse me," Byakuya said, standing and taking Ichigo's hand, "You do not need to go to the effort of laying out the evidence, and asking me if there is a relationship between Ichigo and me. I will tell you now that, not only am I 'seeing' Ichigo romantically, we are very much in love, and we plan to wed as soon as council will give its blessing to our union."

Tetsuya watched the faces of the other councilors closely, reading their expressions and making silent note of the information for later use.

"Byakuya-sama," Nori began.

"I understand that you are all concerned about how it will look, and about the legacy of the clan. That is as it should be, of course. You all are devoted to the honor and dignity of our clan, and although we are in disagreement about terms for our marriage, Ichigo and I are also committed to these things."

"So committed that you have been running off to the living world on every occasion to lie down and fornicate with this...with him?" Orochi asked, sarcastically, "With all due respect to our leader, I don't see how we, as a council, can allow this! Their behavior so far, the sneaking around and covering up...the lies and deceptions..."

"I am not lying when I say that I will not back down," Byakuya said firmly, "I am going to marry Kurosaki Ichigo honorably, and in front of my family."

"And what about your promises?" asked Councilor Arisu, her pale green eyes fixing on the ginger-haired man at Byakuya's side, "You promised to give our clan heirs of your blood. How will you do that, if you marry this young man?"

"I agree," said Kuchiki Ryuu, meeting Byakuya's eyes questioningly, "I usually support you in everything, Byakuya-sama, but this does push a boundary quite far."

"I am sure that the Shiba clan, too, wants an heir," commented Arisu.

"You've considered impregnating a clan concubine, ne?" asked Councilor Nobu, "My subfamily has several available females."

"I am aware of this," Byakuya said quietly, looking into Ichigo's eyes, "But neither Ichigo nor I are able to consider lying down with a complete stranger to make our children. We have decided instead, to choose the strongest candidate from among the subfamilies and train him or her for leadership. Both our clan and the Shiba clan have several strong candidates."

"Byakuya-sama," Nori said respectfully, "While we accept that there are times when an heir cannot be made, such avenues are considered, but you can have heirs..."

Tetsuya bit at his lip gently, looking around the room and not liking what he saw written on the councilor's faces.

_This is about to go very wrong..._

He started to speak, but froze, staring at the odd glint that had come into Councilor Arisu's eyes.

_What is going on?_

"If I may?" Arisu said, standing and turning her gaze on Tetsuya.

The council fell silent, but Tetsuya didn't miss the fact that Orochi was glaring at the female councilor.

"I would like to offer the council another alternative."

"I don't think that is necessary," Orochi said quickly, "We have already..."

"I came across some files while researching in the council archives," she went on, ignoring him.

She turned her eyes on Tetsuya, making the breath freeze in his chest as she smiled provocatively.

"You see, among the data from out of the noble prison, Itamigiri, I discovered an old execution order. It is one that was never carried out, as Byakuya-sama's raid stopped it form happening."

"That information is...!" Orochi tried to interject.

"The execution order," Arisu said, raising her voice over Orochi's objection, "was for a rare, breeder male, whom, as you know, were executed whenever discovered within the walls of the prison."

"What has this to do with anything?" Orochi snapped, "You are getting off track. Let us..."

Arisu's eyes met Tetsuya's again, and the blue-eyed noble's widened in distress at what he sensed was about to happen.

"Arisu-san," he began, coming to his feet, "Stop."

The council room went deathly silent for a moment, then whispers erupted all around.

Nori cleared his throat, quieting the whispers, then he looked from Arisu's sly smile to the dismayed Tetsuya's flustered expression, then to Orochi's deadly glare and the mystified expressions of Byakuya and Ichigo.

"Councilors," Nori said calmly, "You need to be sure that you remain on topic and only offer ways our leader might meet his commitment to provide heirs. In addition, I will warn all of you to use appropriate manners with each other when speaking. Now, Councilor Arisu, I do not see how a reference to an unidentified breeder male has much to do with our decision here. Byakuya-sama has already said that he and Shiba Ichigo..."

"Kurosaki," saaid Ichigo.

"Kurosaki Ichigo," Nori went on, "are not willing to lie down with a complete stranger to make their children."

"I understand this," said Arisu, "And this breeder male is no stranger, but is very close to both Byakuya-sama and Kurosaki Ichigo."

Tetsuya's face went white, and he stepped back, sensing what was about to happen. He tried to speak, but emotion flared up and left him silent and staring.

"Arisu, who are we talking about, then?" Nori asked.

"I object," Orochi said loudly, "This is a private matter, an issue relating to a man who has not been officially named as a clan concubine!"

"There are really breeder males?" Councilor Ryuu said, frowning and shaking his head, "I thought that they died out after the massacre, hundreds of years ago."

"Breeder males are very rare," Arisu agreed, looking into Tetsuya's shocked eyes, "And in fact, this male is the only known breeder male currently in existence."

Tetsuya felt Byakuya's eyes touch on him and widen in realization.

"Senior Councilor Nori, I would like a recess to consider this new information and to speak to my fiancé."

"First, I need to record the name of the breeder male in question," said Fumio, "If one exists, it is required that his name be entered in the council records. He is also required to be examined by a clan healer to confirm that he is able to bear children. So, who is the breeder male you referred to?"

Arisu smiled smugly at the deadly glare Orochi gave her as he dropped back into his chair.

"Kuchiki Tetsuya," she said primly, making all eyes turn to gaze at the slender, sapphire-eyed noble, "Kuchiki Tetsuya was confirmed a breeder male when he lost a child he was carrying while a prisoner in Itamigiri."

Tetsuya's face paled even further, and he felt the room spin around him. He heard Byakuya speaking to him, but couldn't answer as everything disappeared around him, and he started to fall. Strong arms captured him and lifted him.

"It's okay," he heard Ichigo's voice say, "I've got you."


	3. The Breeder Male

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Byakuya, Ichigo and Tetsuya are stunned by the elders' decision.

"What do you think you were doing in there?" Orochi hissed softly, scowling as Arisu smirked mockingly at him, "Do you have any idea what you've done?"

"Of course," Arisu said dulcetly, her pale green eyes fixing on her furious cousin, "I just handed our leader a way to bind himself happily to the man he loves..."

"While at the same time, firing venomous salvoes at both our pretty little half-blood cousin and me. I should kill you!"

"Oh, don't be so dramatic," Arisu said, shaking her head, "It only shows off the way you pine after that filthy little half-blood."

"Shut up," Orochi snapped, "You don't know what you are talking about."

"Oh?" chuckled Arisu, "I think I am right on the money, Cousuin. You are so obvious. I am surprised that Byakuya-sama hasn't nailed you for panting after Tetsuya the way you do. You should be ashamed of yourslef. I know your subfamily prides itself on keeping the bloodline pure. How scandalous it would be if they learned you had impregnated that little monstrosity while he was a prisoner...and underage."

"Tetsuya wasn't underage," Orochi growled darkly.

"Then, he was barely of age. But I understand, Cousin," Arisu laughed sarcastically, "He is a lovely little thing, isn't he? So irresistible with those large, pretty sapphire eyes. Did you make him cry, just to see them sparkle?"

"I told you to shut up!" Orochi said brusquely, turning away, "Crawl back into the hole you crawled out of, hag. And don't be so smug. Because while you were trying to use Tetsuya's situation to make points with our leader, you made a critical error."

"Oh? I think that played out perfectly, complete with the fragile Tetsuya fainting like a girl from the shock. Really, how does Byakuya-sama depend on him for protection? That weakling can't even protect himself!"

"You are ridiculous. You are going to find out, all too soon, how big a mistake you have made," Orochi said, stalking away from her, "You should really think more before you go playing with dangerous things."

Arisu watched, still smirking, as Orochi disappeared from view.

"Oh, but I love to play with snakes," she chuckled, turning towards her own office, "That was fun!"

XXXXXXXXXX

"Is Tetsuya all right?" Byakuya asked stridently, "Why did he collapse like that? Was it just shock or is something wrong with him?"

"He will be fine," the clan healer assured his anxious leader, "Stress, shock and lack of sleep appear to have played roles in his collapse. But I did find something else that you should be aware of."

"What is that?"

"Tetsuya-san has recently been physically abused and sexually assaulted."

"What the hell?" Ichigo said in a stunned voice, "He was...?"

"When was he attacked, and by whom?" Byakuya asked, his eyes darkening dangerously.

"I cannot determine that," the healer admitted, "only that the assault occurred within the last twenty-four hours, and that the person who did it was skilled enough to heal the visual injuries, while not relieving the pain of them."

"Tetsuya was beat up and just left hurting after?" Ichigo mused, "What kind of monster would do something like that?"

"I have my suspicions," Byakuya replied, his reiatsu sparking dangerously, "But, first things first. Have you relieved his pain?"

"Yes," the healer confirmed, "I have soothed the pain and made him sleep more comfortably. He should rest quietly for the rest of the day and not have too much excitement, but he will recover fully."

"That is good," Byakuya sighed.

"Did you examine him yet to find out if what that lady elder said is true?" Ichigo asked, his brown eyes studying Tetsuya's troubled expression.

"Yes," said the healer, "And it is true. Tetsuya-san has an unusual chamber within his body that appears to be able to capture reiatsu and genetic material"

"How is that possible?" the Shiba heir asked, curiously, "Did someone alter him that way or...?"

"No," Byakuya answered, "Hundreds of years ago, there was a terrible conflict among the noble clans. No one really knows how or why it started, only that it went out of control, and there were great losses in all families. Amidst the aftermath, an elder of one of the clans became concerned that such infighting could spell the end of the power of the clans if something was not done. The number of fertile females had dropped dangerously, due to the conflict, and that meant finding another way in case some thing ever left only males and non-breeding females. The elder was a gifted scientist, and with a specially chosen team they created and birthed the first breeder male. The experiment was a great success, but evoked fear and mistrust among some of the female elders."

"I guess I can see why," said Ichigo.

"Yes, well, this led to an investigation of the methods used in the experiment. The Noble's General Council ruled that playing with genetic code as they did was unnatural and could have dangerous consequences. And, indeed, it became known that breeder males could spawn other breeder males, as well as normal males and females. So, a decision was made to destroy the experiment and any resulting children he had borne."

"Something tells me that the scientist guy wasn't stupid."

"No," Byakuya said quietly, "He protected the breeders and their children. And for many years, they moved quietly among our population, expanding in number."

"But, that guy in council said something about a massacre..."

"Yes, some years after the experiment ended, an operative of the Noble's General Council discovered the identities of some of the surviving breeders, and they sent agents to eliminate them."

"What?" Ichigo gasped, staring down at Tetsuya, "But, they hadn't even done anything!"

"No," Byakuya agreed, "They were just trying to stay alive, living quietly and peacefully among us."

"But someone didn't like that, so they set them up to die," Ichigo concluded in a disgusted tone, "Byakuya, I know that there were probably some real concerns about them, but I just don't get why they thought that the 'right answer' was to just kill them like that. They were living souls."

"But the Noble's General Council did not acknowledge them as living souls, but as experiments that had gone wrong. It was a very divisive decision, but it won out, and the breeders were hunted down and thought to all have been killed. They realized later on that a few still existed. So, the ones running the secret prisons, like the one that held Tetsuya, ordered that any identified breeder males were to be executed. Tetsuya is very lucky that the raid occurred when it did, or he would have died at their hands."

"Do you think that anyone will try to kill him now?" Ichigo asked worriedly.

Byakuya sighed.

"In general, no," he answered softly, "The Noble's General Council admitted the scandal some time back and reversed itself, then recognized breeders had a right to life as well. But by that time, most of them were dead. And Tetsuya appears to be the only one living right now."

"But he could have more like him?"

"It is possible," Byakuya admitted, "But as it is a recessive trait, it tends to skip about, even missing several generations. What we have to worry about now are extremists among the powerful in the clan, who might still think in the ways of the past. Tetsuya could be targeted by them."

"But we won't let anyone hurt him."

"We will not," Byakuya agreed, slipping a hand into Ichigo's and kissing him, "I will see that Tetsuya is closely guarded. Do not worry about that."

Ichigo nodded and accepted several more kisses as the two watched the healer lean over Tetsuya again.

"Wh-what are you doing?" Tetsuya asked sleepily, coming partway awake as the healer's hands touched him again, "Don't hurt my..."

"Come now, you should still be asleep," the healer said reprovingly.

"But...what happened?" Tetsuya asked in a worried tone, "Why am I here?"

"You lost consciousness," Byakuya explained, stepping forward and sitting down beside the bed, "Michio says that you were overwhelmed by the shock of Kuchiki Arisu's revelation and by lack of sleep. But he mentioned something else. And I want to know if you can tell me anything about his finding."

"What is it?" Tetsuya asked, staring back at the clan leader worriedly, "Is something wrong with me?"

"What Byakuya-sama is telling you is that I found disturbances in your body and reiatsu that tell me that you were attacked physically and sexually assaulted within the last twenty-four hours."

"Do you remember anything of that nature happening to you?"

"N-no, I...!"

Tetsuya froze, Orochi's words chilling him inside as they repeated in his mind.

_"Now then, before we get to what I want to talk to you about, why don't you do something to relax me. It has been a long day."_

"Tetsuya?" Byakuya queried, "Did you remember something?"

"I don't know," Tetsuya admitted, "I just...I remembered hearing Orochi-san's voice speaking to me. I don't know if it might have been from before...in the prison."

His heart began to race at the deadly anger that rose in Byakuya's eyes. The clan leader started to come to his feet, but was stayed by Tetsuya's hand on his arm.

"Byakuya-sama, wait! You cannot jump to the conclusion that it was him. Even if he did hurt me, he has carefully covered his tracks. You have no proof he did anything."

"But who else would have the motivation that man would? You told me what he said the day of the raid, Tetsuya."

"Yes," Tetsuya agreed, "He said that I still 'belonged to him.' But he has never made any kind of honest attempt to bring me to him. He has kept his distance, and just insulted me from afar."

"Which just means that he approached you, using nefarious means."

"But even so, that isn't enough to take him on publicly," Tetsuya argued.

"Tetsuya's got a point," Ichigo said, stepping forward and placing a hand on Byakuya's shoulder, "I know that you are real protective of him, but you can't run off and just trash the bastard because you think he did this. You have to be able to prove it."

"I know that," Byakuya said shortly, "And I will. But we need a way to protect Tetsuya while we find that proof. Apparently, Orochi has a way to approach him, without any of us, not even Koji, who is always near Tetsuya...and Tetsuya, himself, remembering. I need to speak to Koji. Will you stay with Tetsuya, Ichigo?"

"Sure," said the Shiba heir, squeezing his lover's hand, "I won't let him out of my sight."

"Thank you. I will return as quickly as possible."

Byakuya left Tetsuya's room and walked swiftly to the kitchen, where he found the attendant preparing a cup of tea.

"Koji, I need you to come with me."

"Of course, Byakuya-sama," Koji said, bowing respectfully and moving to follow him, "Is something wrong, sir?"

"Something is very wrong," Byakuya said solemnly, "Someone has been entering the manor, specifically, Tetsuya's room. The person has physically abused him while not being seen entering or leaving, and attracting anyone's attention or setting off the house alarms."

Koji's face paled.

"S-someone has been hurting Tetsuya-san, right under our noses?" he asked in a fearful tone.

The two reached Tetsuya's room and entered.

"Tetsuya-san, I am so sorry!" Koji said, dropping to his knees at his master's bedside, "I...I didn't know!"

"It's all right," Tetsuya said, shaking his head gently, "Even I did not know."

"Tetsuya was able to tell us that he remembered Orochi's voice speaking to him," Byakuya explained, "But he cannot be sure of when the conversation took place, or if it was even real. So, I want you to tell us, have you witnessed anything odd since yesterday?"

"Ah...well, this morning, Tetsuya-san seemed not well rested and out of sorts. I offered him a massage, but when I went to pull the covers back, he stopped me."

"I was feeling ill this morning," Tetsuya admitted, and when I was in the bathroom, I looked to see if there was any sign of why I was hurting all over. My body looked fine, but it still ached badly."

"Likely, from the beating you took," Michio said, frowning, "Did you shower?"

"Yes. I thought it would settle me."

"But something tells me that it didn't help at all, did it?" asked Ichigo.

"No," said Tetsuya, "I only felt worse, because I didn't understand what was wrong with me."

"When you washed your lower body," Michio queried, "did you feel anything unusual? Were there any blood traces or strange discharge?"

"Y-yes, to both," Tetsuya admitted, "And there were traces of blood on the sheets on my bed."

"Which, of course, were removed for washing while Tetsuya-san was showering," sighed Koji, lowering his eyes, penitently, "Tetsuya-san, I am really, so very sorry, sir. I am supposed to take care of you. I will understand if you feel that..."

"Don't say that," Tetsuya insisted, slipping a hand under Koji's chin and raising it so that their eyes met, "The person who entered here slipped past all kinds of house defenses, and he got past me. Don't feel bad about what happened, and do not talk of abandoning me while I need you."

"Oh! Oh, I didn't...I mean, I'm sorry. I didn't mean that, Tetsuya-san. Of course, I will stay with you. I just thought that..."

"Well, that is not the way I feel. I need you more now."

"Yes, Tetsuya-san," Koji answered, nodding.

"You will need to sleep in Tetsuya's room," said Byakuya, "and until further notice, a house guard will be stationed at each entrance. Whoever this is must not be allowed to reach Tetsuya again. Tetsuya, I am also assigning a guard to accompany you when you are about, during the day."

"But, I don't think that I was overcome while I was awake," Tetsuya objected, "It seems that it happened here, which would mean, at night."

"I understand," Byakuya said quietly, "But, there is another reason why I am posting the guard with you."

Tetsuya swallowed hard and met Byakuya's eyes nervously.

"This is about...what Councilor Arisu said, isn't it?" he whispered, "This is about me being...one of them?"

"After your collapse, we had you brought here, and I told the council to continue to discuss the matter and to forward notes to me. Arisu went on to reveal that, according to scientific study notes, your reproductive system is protected by a powerful seal. When preparing to breed, the seal is removed by an elder, and the union is blessed, then the reiatsu to make the child is transferred into the chamber through repeated acts of mating."

He paused as Tetsuya paled again and closed his eyes for a moment to regain his composure.

"The gestation is not as long as a female pregnancy. Where a natural pregnancy takes nine months, the reiatsu is fully viable after about six months, and will emerge when the abdominal wall loses cohesion enough to let it pass through. You would likely endure some nausea and vomiting, and some distension of your abdomen as you progress, but the symptoms should be relatively mild. There were a few cases where the breeder's body rejected the growing child, but it was a rare condition."

"Michio-san," Tetsuya whispered, going breathless for a moment and shuddering at the question that occurred to him, "Did my attacker...did he...?"

"The seal on your reproductive system is in place and functioning," the healer said bracingly.

"Oh...that is good," Tetsuya managed, trying to slow his breaths, "I don't know what I would do if..."

He broke off suddenly as a painful memory slashed across his mind.

_"It hurts, Naoki!" he panted, holding his midsection and bending forward, "What happened?"_

_"One of the guards pushed you and you fell. You fell a long way. But you're going to be all right, Tetsuya-san."_

_"N-no...no, I heard them talking. They knew about the baby. Orochi-sama must have told them. They are going to execute me, Naoki! It wasn't enough to kill my baby, now they are going to kill me too!"_

_"I don't think it was Orochi-sama who told them. He was angry that you were having his child and mine, but he was furious when he heard you had been injured. He...he killed the guard that pushed you, and he said that anyone who touched you would die. The others are afraid of him, Tetsuya-san. I don't think they will kill you."_

_"Until he tells them to," Tetsuya whispered, tears leaking onto his face, "And he will. He hates me. He always has."_

_"I don't know anymore if that is true," Naoki whispered, "And even if it is, the healer told me that Byakuya-sama has planned the raid for tomorrow. When it happens, we will run to Byakuya-sama. He will save us. And he will keep that beast away from us!"_

"Cousin, are you all right?" Byakuya's voice asked, cutting into Tetsuya's reverie.

"I am fine," Tetsuya assured him, "I just...have a great deal to make peace with. I didn't want it to be known that I was a breeder male. No one was ever supposed to know."

"I am afraid that there is nothing we can do now, but to move forward," Byakuya said quietly, "Do not worry about the council. They cannot force you to do anything that you do not choose."

"But, you and Ichigo-san," Tetsuya objected, "I know that you want to be married, and you don't want to have to..."

"It doesn't matter," Ichigo said, shaking his head and riling his ginger colored hair, "Byakuya and I aren't going to do anything to hurt you, Tetsuya. We will manage."

"But the council won't allow the marriage to proceed without an assurance of an heir."

"I will convince them to accept a candidate from the subfamilies," Byakuya said firmly, "They are not going to force us into a corner. I am going to marry Ichigo, and I will not make a child at the expense of hurting you."

"I am sorry, Byakuya-sama," said an old man's voice form the doorway, "but that is going to present a problem."

"Nori, what do you mean?" Byakuya asked, looking up as the head councilor entered the room.

"What I mean is...the council is considering pressuring you to step down. I thought that you needed to be warned. They have the votes to do so. You must think very carefully now, before you act."


	4. The Gift

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Tetsuya prepares to gift Byakuya and Ichigo a precious gift, Orochi makes a shocking move.

"I am afraid that there is nothing we can do now, but to move forward," Byakuya said quietly, "Do not worry about the council. They cannot force you to do anything that you do not choose."

"But, you and Ichigo-san," Tetsuya objected, "I know that you want to be married, and you don't want to have to..."

"It doesn't matter," Ichigo said, shaking his head and riling his ginger colored hair, "Byakuya and I aren't going to do anything to hurt you, Tetsuya. We will manage."

"But the council won't allow the marriage to proceed without an assurance of an heir."

"I will convince them to accept a candidate from the subfamilies," Byakuya said firmly, "They are not going to force us into a corner. I am going to marry Ichigo, and I will not make a child at the expense of hurting you."

"I am sorry, Byakuya-sama," said an old man's voice form the doorway, "but that is going to present a problem."

"Nori, what do you mean?" Byakuya asked, looking up as the head councilor entered the room.

"What I mean is...the council is considering pressuring you to step down. I thought that you needed to be warned. They have the votes to do so. You must think very carefully now, before you act."

"But the council has never been able to gather enough votes for something like that," Tetsuya objected, "There is no one in any of the subfamilies who can match Byakuya-sama's power, and to remove him from leadership would only lower the clan's standing in the eyes of the other clans."

"That has long been the agreed upon viewpoint," Nori confirmed, "However, after you left, it was brought before the council that Councilor Orochi has achieved bankai."

Tetsuya's eyes widened, then closed against the words.

"It doesn't matter if my cousin has a bankai," Byakuya said, frowning, "My power exceeds his, as does my experience in the arena of leadership."

"That is true," agreed the head elder, "But, Councilor Arisu made the points in council that first, you have a long history of, not just defying the council with your choices, but of causing our family embarrassment and lowering us in the eyes of the other clans. Add to that, the fact that Orochi's subfamily has very respectable lines of power. And there is one final consideration."

Tetsuya felt an odd, queasy sensation in his belly at the words.

"If Orochi gains control of clan leadership, then it would be within his power to compel the clan's new breeder male to be his concubine."

"What?" exclaimed Ichigo, "He can't do that, can he, Byakuya?"

Tetsuya shivered at the thought, his mind going nearly blank at the thought of ever being touched by his wicked cousin again.

"I am afraid that it he is successful in replacing me as head of household, he can. But I do not think that he has the nerve to make that move."

"Why not?" asked the Shiba heir.

"Byakuya-sama has the right to defend his place as leader by challenging the one the council chooses to replace him to a duel to the death," explained Nori.

"And there is no way the guy will defeat you," Ichigo said with certainty.

"No."

"But then, Orochi-san would not be doing this if he didn't have a plan in place to ensure his victory," Tetsuya posited, "He must have found an underhanded way to set you up. That's the only reason he would make so bold a move."

"Well," said Nori, "I do not know if that is true. You know of the animosity that exists between Councilors Arisu and Orochi, ne?"

"Yes," Byakuya said solemnly, "The two are nearly always at odds. And they never cease to scheme to undo each other. There is a long history of very ugly infighting between their subfamilies."

"Yes, well, you saw how much Arisu enjoyed revealing Tetsuya's status as a Breeder Male. She was delighted, not only at having a marvelous time troubling young Tetsuya, here, but also at maneuvering Orochi into a closely crafted corner."

"She knows that Orochi-san still harbors aggressive feelings towards me," said Tetsuya, "He still feels some kind of ownership of me. The day I was freed, he warned me that I still belonged to him."

"And it seems like he's probably been taking advantage of you," said Ichigo, "If he was the one who hurt you, then he might have been doing that for many years."

"I cannot say that he hasn't," Tetsuya replied in a troubled tone, "But neither can I prove that he has."

"Regardless, I will kill him if he attempts to replace me," Byakuya said, his reiatsu darkening dangerously.

"But, what I am trying to get at," Nori said worriedly, "is that it is not the Orochi wants to take leadership of the clan or risk having to fight you head on. It is that Arisu knows of his possessive feelings for Tetsuya and is manipulating this to get him killed...without having to get her own hands dirty, of course."

"If you think that I am going to lose any sleep over seeing Orochi brought down by his own recklessness and wickedness, think again," Byakuya said darkly, "I do not care what his reasons are or who is manipulating him. If he tries to replace me, I will destroy him."

"But, Byakuya-sama," Tetsuya said, shaking his head, "regardless of what animosity we have for that man, you must see that if you challenge him as the council's choice it is not good for the clan. Yes, you will likely defeat him, but you will be making a clear statement, and a very public one that the Kuchiki elders have no power to negotiate with their leader, and that there is division within our clan. It would surely weaken our standings amongst the noble clans. And that would not be good for anyone."

"Tetsuya is right," Nori said unhappily, "It is not good for anyone if Orochi is forced into leadership and you are manipulated into killing him."

"Can pressure be put on Arisu to back down?" Byakuya asked, thinking carefully.

Nori sighed.

"Before, she might have. But she has enough others convinced that you are so intractable a leader, that it is not a detriment that Orochi is new to his bankai powers. She was very brutal in her criticism of you, pointing out each breach of our rules and supporting it with evidence of changes in how we are perceived in the eyes of the Noble's General Council. And, I am afraid, she did make some valid points. She was able to sway enough councilors to follow her that the vote will go her way and Orochi will be named head of household, if something does not give somewhere."

"Did Orochi-san give any sign of what he is thinking?" asked Tetsuya.

"Not overtly, no," answered Nori, "But remember that, given his possessive feelings towards you, it would be very easy for Arisu to undo him if he made any sudden moves or became combative. He argued against the decision, and he also voted against it."

"But he might have done that, knowing that Arisu had enough convinced, without him having to involve himself," Byakuya said off-handedly, "It would only strengthen his standing with the council to see him as reluctant to take advantage of a dubious opportunity. If he resists, then when he later accepts the council's decision to replace me, he will be seen as believing it to be a last resort, and not his own will."

"It is a dangerous game those two are playing," Nori sighed, "And if it goes wrong, not only will we be disgraced, but people will die."

"Not to mention, it could result in a clan war within the family, with Arisu and Orochi's subfamilies spreading the damage to include innocents," Byakuya added.

"We cannot let it come to that," Tetsuya said softly, "Byakuya-sama, there is a way to avoid all of this...to stop Arisu-san from launching this attack at Orochi-san, to stop Orochi-san from being named our leader in your place, to keep the peace within the subfamilies, and to keep our name from being disgraced. Only accept the council's recommendation."

He swallowed hard and continued, working to keep his voice steady.

"I admit that I have fears about proceeding, fears about being touched sexually, about bearing a child after having lost my first, about igniting Orochi-san's anger and about people knowing I am a breeder male. But, despite all of that, I am first, your cousin, who loves you and only wants the best for you. And I am second, the one most repsonsible for your safety and well-being. I swear to you, I could not ever look at my face in a mirror again if I stood by and did not help you in any way that I can. So...if having a child for you and Ichigo-san will keep peace in the family and protect you and Ichigo-san and your love...then..."

Tetsuya's voice faltered as tears rose in his eyes and he lost his ability to speak.

"Hey," Ichigo said gently, slipping a hand into his, "Byakuya and I told you already. We are not going to do anything to hurt you."

"You will not be hurting me," Tetsuya managed, "In fact, the level of pain is no worse than that required in my protection duties and training. And I know how to care for myself to ensure a safe delivery of your heir. I am afraid, but I can do this. That way, the elders will see your willingness to work with them, and this will reflect well on us in the eyes of the Noble's General Council."

"He is correct in that estimation," said Nori, "I think that the others are just looking for some sign that you will make some concessions in favor of the clan...to protect our place among the noble families and our honor."

"With a little bit of backstabbing in it, just for fun," Ichigo observed with narrowed eyes, "What a pain in the ass."

"I agree that it is troubling," added Tetsuya, "But, Byakuya-sama, surely one so wise as you would understand that sometimes we must choose a difficult path, even if it runs counter to our desires, if that path is the one that will protect our peace and dignity."

Byakuya didn't answer right away, but moved closer to his cousin and coaxed Tetsuya into a warm embrace.

"Tetsuya," he whispered, "I only ever wanted to protect you. I promised you that no one would ever confine you again. But this is too much like confinement...possession. You are not a thing, nor a servant. You are a person, free to choose his path. You do not have to do this."

Tetsuya gave him a wavering smile.

"I know that," he said with more confidence, "And that is what gives me the strength to do this for you. Did you not tell me once that your greatest regret, after losing Hisana-sama, was that you and she were sadly denied the child you both so wanted? So, giving just a little of myself, I can help you and Ichigo-san to have what you and Hisana-sama did not. I am not unwilling."

Byakuya went quiet again, one hand seeking Ichigo's, and the other joining with Tetsuya's. He thought carefully, considering everything they had discussed, and the likely response of the council.

"You are certain that taking this action will stop Arisu's manipulations?" he asked Nori.

"She will feel that she gained something by 'taking Tetsuya away' from Orochi and forcing Tetsuya to act as a breeder. I cannot see her having a negative reaction."

"The one who will is probably Orochi," said Ichigo.

"I will deal with Orochi," Byakuya assured him, "But, before I make a final decision, I must have your honest answer, Ichigo. What is your desire? Do you want to have a child with me, even if doing so requires that we together impregnate my cousin?"

Ichigo considered the question silently, turning his head and meeting Tetsuya's frightened but accepting gaze, then looking back at the clan leader.

"You tell me something," he said quietly, "Is what Tetsuya said true? Do you regret not having a child with Hisana?"

Byakuya hesitated at the question, choosing his words carefully.

"Hisana and I loved each other very much," he said finally, "In the early days of our marriage, before it became clear that impregnating her would threaten her life, we spoke of it often. And after she was gone, I had nothing to remember her by, but pictures. Pictures fade. But life we create grows and changes before our eyes, holding on to what is most important to us, while developing in its own way. So, yes, I do regret that we did not have that to comfort us as we were parted. Still, you..."

"I'm okay with it, then."

Byakuya blinked several times at his words, then met Tetsuya's eyes questioningly.

"And Cousin, you must answer me in full honesty as well. Are you sure that your heart can bear lying down with us, who you do not love romantically, and making a child who will not formally be acknowledged as yours?"

Tetsuya did not hesitate.

"I am prepared to do this for you. I will be fine. In a way, it will freeing for me."

"Oh?" Byakuya queried softly, "How so?"

Tetsuya's smile warmed sweetly.

"For the first time, there is something profound that I can do for Byakuya-sama, that will help to repay the debt I owe you for rescuing me."

"But you have been my close companion, and you have protected me."

"But I have never even shed a drop of blood on your behalf," Tetsuya said, shaking his head, "Simply being there, but not doing anything is hardly 'repaying' you."

"Tetsuya..."

"If I do this...and ask nothing for myself, then it is truly giving back something precious, ne? I find that comforting."

"So, it does seem that both Councilor Tetsuya and your intended are willing to agree to this," said Nori, "I understand your hesitation, Byakuya-sama. It is not an easy undertaking. But the most difficult part will be over after the night of the impregnation. After that, the three of you will only need to periodically infuse Tetsuya's body with balancing reiatsu, and he will not be overly encumbered. The birth will not be as taxing as a female birth, so truly, we can all breathe a sigh of relief, as it were, once the heir is confirmed as viable."

"Yes," Byakuya said, still eyeing Tetsuya with apprehension, "Very well. As Ichigo and Tetsuya have agreed, you have my agreement as well."

"Then, we should return to the council hall," said Nori.

"What?" queried Byakuya, looking surprised, "Now? But Tetsuya has barely awakened."

"I am fine," Tetsuya assured him, "I just needed to process what was said before. I am able to return to council."

"But, what is the rush?" Byakuya argued, "Could this not wait until tomorrow?"

Nori shifted uncomfortably.

"Actually, the council is rather adamant that this matter be resolved quickly. Councilor Fumio has provided a reading of the rules of making an heir with a breeder or concubine and we have all agreed that if you will keep to the terms of that, the council will give its blessing, both to your marriage to Ichigo, and to using Tetsuya as your concubine. But to assure that Tetsuya is actually able to follow through so that the heir will be delivered as promised, the council asks that you take an early, private vow of marriage tonight in council, then impregnate Tetsuya immediately following. We will follow with a full public wedding after the heir is born."

"What?" Ichigo breathed, staring.

"This is standard in cases where we are not certain as to the ability of the concubine to carry out the bearing of the heir as promised. They wish him to do so, before they allow you a public union. Their reasoning is that if they allow you to marry publicly, they cannot easily 'undo' it if Tetsuya backs out, or is unable to bear the heir as promised. This gives them confidence that you will deliver upon your promise."

"That was hardly unexpected," Byakuya said, frowning, "But, what other conditions are there in the rules regarding concubines?"

"We had not had a leader turn to a concubine for hundreds of years," Nori explained, "So Fumio had to go far back in the records to find the details, and the rules state that first, the council must infuse Tetsuya's body with their reiatsu to unseal the 'lock' on his fertility. Then, he will be delivered to the impregnation room, where the three of you will make the heir. During the impregnation, the concubine's eyes must be covered, and his hands are to be restrained..."

"What? No way!" Ichigo exclaimed, "There's no way we're going to treat him like that!"

Nori cleared his throat softly.

"The...adherence to the rules is, of course, relegated to the clan leader and his spouse," he said, meeting Ichigo's eyes meaningfully, "I am only informing you as to what is written in our laws. In any case, his eyes are to be bound and his hands restrained, so that he does not overly bond with the two of you. There is the danger of such bonding occurring, if he interacts too directly with you. So, if you wish to avoid becoming overly burdened after, you need to consider that. During the taking, your eyes are not to meet the concubine's and your lips must not meet, again, to avoid the close bonding such things encourage. The impregnation will require numerous acts of mating, so the records give a recommendation of eating well before and having food brought into the chamber three times during. In the morning, the clan healer will verify that Tetsuya has successfully been impregnated, then he will be returned to his own chambers and allowed to rest and eat to recover."

"Is that all?" Byakuya asked, an angry edge to his voice.

"That is all, Byakuya-sama."

"Very well," said the clan leader, "Tetsuya and Ichigo, I will ask you one more time if, considering the rules as imposed by the council, this is still acceptable to you."

"I have no objection," Tetsuya said quietly.

"I have some reservations," said Ichigo, "But if you and Tetsuya both agree, I will accept the terms too."

"Then we are agreed."

"So, I can assemble the elders for the unsealing?" asked Nori.

Byakuya held his breath for a moment, then released it slowly.

"Yes."

The three watched as Nori left and Koji entered the dressing room to prepare Tetsuya's clothes.

"Tetsuya," Byakuya said, taking his cousin's hands in his again, "If at any time tonight, you feel you cannot go through with this, then only tell us and we will stop. We will do nothing without your consent."

"I understand."

Byakuya nodded briefly and leaned forward to kiss him gently on the forehead.

"We will see you in council."

"Hai, Byakuya-sama."

Byakuya rose, bringing Ichigo up with him.

"Come, we must prepare as well."

Tetsuya watched the two leave, then entered the dressing area and stood quietly as Koji dressed him.

"Are you all right, Tetsuya-san," his cousin asked worriedly.

"Yes, I am fine," Tetsuya assured him, "I am all right with this. It is, after all, going to mean that Byakuya-sama has the child he desires with Ichigo-san."

"You are very kind to do that for him. But Tetsuya-san is always kind and giving. You..."

Tetsuya frowned as Koji went suddenly still, his eyes glowing strangely.

"Koji?"

Tetsuya turned to follow the direction of the attendant's eyes and spotted a coiled snake, emitting an odd light that seemed to have ensnared Koji. A moment later, a soft, male voice spoke warningly.

"I will kill him unless you do exactly as I tell you. Walk outside and proceed towards the stables. Do not tell anyone about this."

The snake moved closer, still holding Koji in its thrall, and coiling again, threateningly.

"Go now."

His heart in his throat, Tetsuya slipped out into the gardens, walking quietly past the guards at the bedroom's entrance and moving in the direction of the barn. He was tempted to alert Arashi, but didn't dare take the chance of Koji being hurt. About halfway down the trail that led to the barn, Orochi's voice reached him from within the trees.

"Come here."

"What are you going to do?" Tetsuya asked, freezing as his cousin emerged and moved towards him.

"What I have to."

The black-eyed man's fingertips touched the hidden seal on Tetsuya's cheek, making him freeze in place, then he removed a small item from within his cloak and whispered an invocation. Soft light glowed around Tetsuya for several minutes, then a waterform emerged from his the younger man and solidified until it looked like Tetsuya's body.

"They will learn upon beginning the preparations that it is not you," Orochi said to the stunned shinigami, "But all that means is that they will assume that you have changed your mind about this and could not face Byakuya. I have already imprisoned Arashi and left a waterform in his stall as well. You will come with me now, and as long as you do not try to escape, no harm will come to Koji. If you resist me in any way, I will kill him, Tetsuya. Do you understand?"

"I understand," Tetsuya whispered.

Orochi looked around them to make sure that no one had seen, then turned Tetsuya away from the manor and led him into the woods. Within Tetsuya's bedroom, the snake controlling Koji faded, and the attendant flinched and took a steadying breath.

"T-tesuya-san?" he queried, looking around.

"What is it?" said the waterform, entering from the gardens, "Are you all right, Koji?"

"Y-yes, I am fine. But I..."

He frowned and shook his head.

"I am fine," he repeated, "I will have things prepared for you when you return."

"Thank you, Koji," the waterform said, turning in the direction of the council hall and flash stepping away.


	5. Always Mine, In All Ways Mine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Orochi interferes with Tetsuya's task.

Tetsuya flinched uncomfortably and looked away as Orochi's strong hands took hold of his wrists and his cousin carefully checked the seal on his powers. Satisfied that it was sufficient to restrain Tetsuya's abilities, he captured the younger man's chin in one hand and forced their eyes to meet. Orochi glared down at him, where Tetsuya sat on the bed in the small, hidden cottage, his legs curled beneath him.

"Just in case you get any sudden ideas about leaving here, you should know that, in addition to relieving you of your powers, I have placed a barrier around this house that will shield it from discovery, and will keep you safely locked inside. Also," he said, drawing his zanpakutou and earning a look of alarm from Tetsuya, "You will be watched by my snakes. You are familiar with them..."

Tetsuya shivered as Orochi breathed a quick command to his zanpakutou and four black snakes wiggled free. They slithered to the four corners of the room, then turned towards Tetsuya, focusing their glowing red eyes on him. Tetsuya managed a soft exclamation of dismay as their hypnotic power took hold, then he collapsed onto his stomach, on the bed, his eyes turning glassy and empty, and his breathing slowing.

"There, you see," Orochi said, reaching down to lightly caress his cousin's silken, black hair, "Things go so much more easily when you do not fight me. I have told you many times, and it is still true. You are mine, Tetsuya. You have belonged to me since I took you that first time and claimed all rights to you. And despite all of your arguments about how Byakuya freed you, you still wear my hidden mark, and so you are under my influence. You will be mine for all of the remaining days of your life. No one has the right to take you away from me. And I will destroy anyone who tries."

He paused to check the time, then let out a piqued breath.

"I must go," he said, sliding onto the bed and laying down beside his entranced cousin, then indulging in several long, plundering kisses, "I will return later, after the clan meeting. We can spend more time together then."

He sat up and gazed down at Tetsuya with cold eyes.

"Perhaps tonight, you will pleasure me. It has been a long time since I was able to spend a full night receiving your affections, cousin. I do hope you still remember my preferences. But I will be happy to remind you, if you have forgotten."

Orochi let out a small, satisfied breath and exited the bed, smirking as he left Tetsuya helplessly entranced under the spell of the dark snakes.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Ah, Tetsuya," Byakuya said in greeting as his cousin joined Ichigo and him, then the three walked up the front steps of the Kuchiki Council Hall and entered the building together, "Are you all right? You look like you are not feeling well?"

"I am fine, Byakuya-sama," Tetsuya answered calmly, "I am just a bit tired."

They were met near the entrance to the council meeting chamber by the head elder. He fell in with the three and they moved inside, where the assembled council already waited. They took their seats, then Nori called the gathering to order.

"I have spoken with Byakuya-sama and his intended," Nori reported, and they have indicated to me that they are willing to accept the council's agreement to approve their marriage in exchange for them agreeing to provide an heir with their chosen concubine."

"Ah," Arisu snickered under her breath, glancing at a stoic looking Orochi, "but the concubine looks a little frazzled, ne? But you, Orochi...you look a bit smug. What are you up to?"

"The agreement is so noted," said Fumio, recording the information in the council notes, "The requirements set forth by the council have been met and the seeding of the heir may commence."

The full contingent of elders rose and met Byakuya, Ichigo and the now very pale Tetsuya at the center of the chamber. The elders laid their hands on the three, closing their eyes and began the words of invocation. The speaking of the words caused a ripple of power in the air around them that swirled for a moment, then sank slowly down into the bodies of the three men. One moment, the three were lit with the glowing light, then in the next, Tetsuya's slender body shimmered brightly and broke apart, splashing to the floor of the chamber as a puddle of water.

"What the hell?" Ichigo hissed, "What was that? What happened?"

"It was Tetsuya's shikai," Byakuya said, staring, "That was a waterform, or he shifted to a waterform somewhere else."

"But, he seemed okay with this," Ichigo mused, frowning, "What do you think happened?"

"I think it is clear what happened," Orochi said quietly, "Our cousin had a strong reaction to the idea of being used as a brood mare, and it seems that he had second thoughts."

Arisu arched a skeptical eyebrow.

"Or someone manipulated him in some way," she suggested.

Nori sighed.

"Whatever the reason," he said solemnly, "we obviously cannot move forward with the impregnation. I think that we must postpone the impregnation and any decision on Byakuya-sama's engagement until we are informed about Tetsuya-san's status. Council is hereby in recess."

Ichigo turned to Byakuya, his eyes dark and worried.

"Byakuya, do you really think that Tetsuya had second thoughts about this?" he asked anxiously, "He really seemed to want to help us out."

"But you know how unsettled he was about it," Byakuya sighed, "Perhaps he just couldn't cope and he hadn't the heart to tell us in this setting."

"I know you don't think that," Ichigo said, shaking his head, "That's not like him at all."

"No," the Kuchiki heir said in a worried tone, "It is not."

"We should go and look for him," the Shiba heir suggested, "But, where would he go? Do you have any ideas?"

"There are some places we can look, but it will be difficult."

"But you're good at sensing reiatsu. You shouldn't have any trouble figuring out where he is, ne?"

"His reiatsu is difficult to read right now," Byakuya noted, frowning, "He may be using waterforms to throw echoes about in different places. It will take some time trying to track him this way."

"We need to find him," Ichigo asserted, "I mean, if it's this much of a burden to him, then..."

"We cannot ask it of him," Byakuya finished, "Ichigo, although I know it lowers the chances of the council approving our union, I think it is the right decision. Now come, we should start by going down to the meadow.

XXXXXXXXXX

_I have to get out of here! But I cannot even move. The snakes he left never stop looking in my direction. I cannot break free of their gaze! What can I do?_

_And when he comes back, he will...! I cannot even think about it. My skin crawls thinking of him laying hands on me. But, he has been doing this all along. How do I stop it? How will I ever stop it?_

_Why does this man who says that I am an abomination want to lie down with me and do these things to me? His hands are cold and their touch makes me cold inside. His touch makes me feel like I cannot breathe! And even when he is done with me and lets me go, I can never remember!_

_Is there no way to stop him?_

Tears rose in Tetsuya's eyes and leaked onto his face as he struggled to make any part of his body move. But except for the soft, steady rise and fall of his breathing, he was unable to make his body obey him. He shuddered inside, thinking of what would happen upon Orochi's return. And as the minutes went on, the strain of those thoughts became unbearable. He screamed inside, but could make no sound at all. Tears rained down his face and memories of the past occasions of abuse rang in his head.

_Master?_

Tetsuya's heart quickened.

_Arashi, please help me!/em >_

Tetsuya felt the approaching swell of the stallion's powerful reaitsu approaching and breathed a sigh of relief.

_I am coming!_

Hoofbeats sounded outside the cottage, and a moment later, the wall next to the bed blew apart and a shower of ice blades arced around Tetsuya's restrained body and struck at the snakes that held him spellbound. The snakes hissed furiously, their black bodies writhing. As one, they shot towards Arashi with killing intent, only to be swallowed up in a second heavy blast of ice blades that devastated the room Tetsuya laid in. The stallion approached the noble and Tetsuya scrambled onto his back.

"We have to hurry, Arashi!" Tetsuya exclaimed, "We have to go to the council chambers at once!"

He held on tightly as the stallion plunged through the opening he had made in the wall, then burst into blazing flash steps, leaving the battered cottage behind them. Strangley, with each step, the stallion and his rider felt an odd sense of disassociation. Gradually, as they fled, their minds erased what had happened, who had taken Tetsuya, how the person had taken him, and where he had been held. Soon, all that was left was an urgency to reach the council hall as swiftly as possible. They burst out of the trees near the facility, racing to the bottom of the steps at the council hall entry as Byakuya, Ichigo, and several members of the council appeared at the top of the stairs.

"Byakuya-sama!" Tetsuya cried, flinging himself down from the horse's back and flash stepping to the clan leader's side.

"Tetsuya!" Byakuya responded worriedly, "Cousin, what happened to you? One moment you were with us, and the next you disappeared. Tetsuya, if you are not ready to undertake this, then..."

"You don't have to do this," Ichigo said, sliding an arm around the distraught noble, "It's really okay if you can't."

"N-no!" Tetsuya sobbed, "P-please, I don't remember what happened, but I do know that I want very badly to help you. I admit I am afraid, but I want to go ahead with this."

"I think he seems too unstable to be doing any such thing," Orochi said, turning his dark gaze on his distressed cousin, "He is obviously beside himself and barely able to comprehend. To expose him to the impregnation ritual could unhinge him completely."

"That's not true!" Tetsuya snapped angrily, "You would think of any reason to impede this. Everyone knows this."

"What they know is that you ran away already," Orochi went on, "Who is to say that your erratic behavior might not endanger the child you would make?"

"Tetsuya would never do anything to hurt the child he would carry!" Ichigo insisted, "So, back off of him. This is his decision, not yours."

"The Shiba heir is right," asserted Arisu, "It only seems fair that if we are to ask this of our cousin, that we make sure that it is his will to be involved. Others should not be trying to make his decision for him."

"I agree with Councilor Arisu that this should be Tetsuya's decision," said Nori, "So, Tetsuya, I will ask you to be candid in your thinking. Do you want to bear this child on behalf of Byakuya-sama and Shiba Ichigo?"

"Yes!" Tetsuya cried, "I am going to do this!"

"Tetsuya," Byakuya said, his eyes filled with concern, "I don't know if we should take the chance, with your emotions running so high..."

"Please, Byakuya-sama," Tetsuya pleaded, more softly, "Please do not put me in the position of being the reason that you and Ichigo-sama cannot be wed. I couldn't bear it. I do want to help you. I...don't know what happened before, but my heart is decided now. Look at me! I want this with all of my heart. I am still afraid, but my will to do this for you is stronger than my fears. I am sorry that I failed you once. I will not do so again. I swear it!"

"Tetsuya," Byakuya breathed, embracing the younger man, and looking down into his widened eyes with a troubled expression, "we do not want to hurt you."

"I won't be hurt. And...I look forward to giving Byakuya-sama and Ichigo-sama a truly beautiful gift. Please, allow me to help you."

Byakuya let his cheek brush affectionately against his cousin's and Ichigo embraced the two warmly.

"I think we're ready to move forward with this," Ichigo said, "C'mon."

They entered the council hall and moved to the center of the room, where Tetsuya, Byakuya and Ichigo once again took their places with the elders gathered around them. Again, the elders laid their hands on the three as Tetsuya avoided making eye contact with Orochi, and focused his eyes on the floor in front of him. Orochi and Arisu exchanged hateful gazes as the elders spoke the words of invocation. Their power rose around the three men and slowly sank into their bodies, then was sealed with touches of the head councilor's reiatsu. Nori then placed a breaking kido on the three, then motioned for the council to step away. He turned his gaze on Byakuya, Ichigo and Tetsuya, and nodded in approval.

"The Breeder's ability has been awakened," he said solemnly, laying a warm hand on Tetsuya's belly, "May you bear fruit in the honorable name of our leader, Tetsuya. You have our gratitude for this endeavor. Go now to the impregnation chamber. There is a healer who will examine you, then we will begin the ritual."

Tetsuya shivered inwardly, but managed a short nod.

The three exited the council chamber and were led to the back of the building, where a clan healer awaited them. He waited as the three slipped into the dressing area and disrobed, then donned light white yukatas and returned to where the healer waited. Tetsuya laid down on the bed, trying to slow the rapid throbs of his heart as he was carefully examined.

"The concubine is in good health and should have no trouble becoming pregnant," the healer reported, "I will return to the chamber after the ritual to verify the breaking of the kido Nori-sama placed and to report on the status of the impregnation. I will remind the three of you that you must engage in coitus repeatedly through the night, as often as the concubine's body indicates the need for it. I have had food left here for you to eat to keep your strength up. When the concubine has been successfully impregnated, he will fall into a deep sleep and I will return to the chamber to examine him, to verify the viability of the heir. If you gentlemen have any questions, you should ask them now. Once the chamber is closed, we will only disturb it once the ritual has been completed or if it is unsuccessful. So, have you any questions?"

The three men exchanged glances and shook their heads.

"We are ready," Byakuya said solemnly.

"Very well," the healer said, bowing, "May kami bless you. You may begin the ritual."

Tetsuya forced his face to remain calm as the door closed behind the healer and a lock clicked into place, but couldn't suppress a shudder at the sight of the bindings and blindfold that had been set beside the bed. Ichigo noted the cast of his eyes and slipped an arm around him.

"Hey," he said softly, "You know we're not gonna use that stuff on you."

"No," Byakuya agreed, "Although those are the guidelines, the enforcement of them is up to me, and I will not force these things on you, Tetsuya."

"Don't worry about me," Tetsuya replied, lowering his eyes, "I suppose the rules are made that way for a reason. Are you sure we should not obey them?"

"We're not doing that," Ichigo insisted, "You aren't just a concubine to us. You are our friend. Byakuya and I want you to be fully involved in the baby we're making...from start to finish."

"Are you sure that is wise?" Tetsuya asked softly, "I may become more attached than I should. It could make things more difficult later on."

"Nonsense," Byakuya said, wrapping his arms around Tetsuya and raising the younger man's chin so that their eyes met, "We are honored that you will be part of the making of our heir. As you said, you are giving us a beautiful gift...two gifts, actually."

"Oh?"

"The child, of course," Byakuya went on, "but also the gift of your love. That is no small thing, Tetsuya. And I hope that you feel the return of that love in what we do tonight."

Tetsuya smiled and his head bowed slightly.

"Arigatou, Byakuya-sama and Ichigo-sama," he said softly, "I am ready."

His heart raced furiously as Byakuya embraced him from the front and Ichigo from behind, then the two lowered him gently onto his back on the bed.


	6. Bringing Light

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Byakuya, Ichigo and Tetsuya conceive the Kuchiki heir.

"Close your eyes for a moment, watashi no itoko," Byakuya breathed into Tetsuya's blushing ear, "You need to be fully relaxed."

"I know relaxing's going to be hard," Ichigo added, "but just trust us, okay?"

"I trust you," Tetsuya said readily, trying to sound confident, but betraying his anxiety with a little tremor in his voice.

He caught his breath softly as his upper body was lifted slightly and the back of his head, shoulders and back were brought to rest on Ichigo's chest and shoulder. The Shiba heir's fingers slipped into the silken, wavy lengths of the younger noble's hair, caressing gently as Byakuya's fingers laced into Tetsuya and the clan leader laid an appreciative kiss on his cousin's forehead, then lowered his head and offered him a more amorous kiss on the lips.

Tetsuya quivered and blushed brightly, knowing even though he couldn't see it, that Ichigo was watching as Byakuya kissed him, first more chastely, then coaxing his mouth open and exploring the sweet depths slowly with a hungry, searching tongue.

_Why does he do this?_

_Kissing me isn't necessary for making the child. It's not as though my body wasn't already reacting to him...to them._

_But this...it is...?_

His thoughts disappeared for a moment as he felt Ichigo's hands leave his hair and caress the sides of his throat, tickling lightly before his lips followed. A clipped moan escaped Tetsuya, making him flush more brightly as the Shiba heir nipped teasingly at the side of his neck, while letting his hands slide down to caress his body, then to play with the younger noble's erect, pink nipples. He would have objected, but Byakuya kept his mouth delightfully busy, plundering it more eagerly as he opened the front of Tetsuya's yukata, then parted his cousin's trembling thighs and knelt between them, letting his bared front brush against Tetsuya's teasingly as they kissed.

Tetsuya sucked in a shuddering breath as his cousin's already hot and damp arousal touched his naked thigh while Ichigo's burned softly against the small of his back. Then he had his breath taken away again as Byakuya's erect length rubbed gently against his own reactive member. The Kuchiki heir's hips moved, creating stunningly beautiful friction and making Tetsuya moan more longingly into his cousin's mouth.

_It's so strange! This...us being together this way. It feels like love, even though we are not lovers. How can they touch me this way in front of each other? Can they truly feel no jealousy about this? And can't they see how it is affecting me? Nori-dono said that it was a concern that I might bond too strongly with them. Don't they worry my emotions could become too strong? I can't say, myself, what I will feel when this is done and I am carrying their child inside me._

"Tetsuya," Ichigo whispered into his ear, his husky, erotic tone making the blue-eyed noble blush even more furiously, "Whatever you're thinking that has you so tense? Let go of it, okay? You won't relax until you do."

"He is right, watashi no itoko," Byakuya agreed, laying kisses along his collarbone, then moving to capture his lips again, "Let everything go and have faith."

"Byakuya-sama...I am trying, but..."

"I know it feels strange to have us touch you this way, but we trust each other, do we not?"

"Of course," Tetsuya answered readily, closing his eyes and panting softly as Ichigo's hand slid down his soft belly and captured his and Byakuya's swollen members, then stroked slowly as he continued to speak soothingly into Tetsuya's flushed ear.

"Byakuya and I wouldn't have this chance to be married, to have children together, if not for you. That means everything to both of us."

"But I...shouldn't be so reactive," Tetsuya said, blushing more furiously, "D-doesn't it bother you that the one you love is touching me?"

"It is only touching the hand of an angel that is granting the deepest and most longing of our desires," Byakuya answered, brushing his cheek lightly against his flustered cousin's, "There need not be jealousy when all of us are committed to paving the way to Ichigo's and my wedding, Tetsuya. To be married to Ichigo, to have children together is such a beautiful thing. And to have that gift because we have won your affection and loyalty overcomes all other things. Leave this now. Close your eyes and feel what a miracle you have given us!"

"When we touch you, feel our gratitude," Ichigo added, sliding his hand down further and gently running a finger around Tetsuya's waiting entrance.

"Oh!" Tetsuya gasped, flinching at the contact.

Byakuya's voice quickly soothed him as Ichigo's fingertip caressed the warm, puckered flesh, then slowly slid inside.

"O-oh!" the younger noble panted feverishly, feeling as though he had become weightless in their arms as Ichigo's finger slid in and out of him, then sank in deeply and hooked, bringing his hips off the bed and dragging a more erotic moan from deeper in his throat.

A second finger joined the first and they slid in more deeply, touching that most sensitive place inside him and making him writhe uncontrollably.

"P-please!" he sobbed, "I can't...!"

"Shh, it's all right," Byakuya whispered into his ear, soothing away his fears with gentler kisses as Ichigo spread his thighs wider and bowed between them, "Let us relax you."

Tetsuya's breath caught as Ichigo's mouth wrapped around his inflamed erection, and he started to stiffen reflexively, but Byakuya's lips warmed his comfortingly and his cousin's hands roamed slowly over his body, caressing affectionately and quieting his protests.

_It does nothing to worry about it, Tetsuya convinced himself, If they could not bear it, they would stop. They wouldn't be able to look into my eyes with such happiness...such incredible warmth. I will trust them._

He placed himself completely in their hands then, his heart racing as their touches and caresses became steadily more intimate and Tetsuya's mind began to drift on the lovely barrage of pleasant sensations.

_They really are in love. Ichigo is the best and most loyal of friends. He loves and protects Byakuya-sama with all of his heart, and Byakuya-sama returns that in full measure. That is the kind of love that Naoki and I felt. I was so fortunate to know, for even just a moment, what that kind of love feels like!_

His thoughts skittered away suddenly, like startled birds as Ichigo's fingers found the cluster of nerves deep inside him again and made his heart and loins throb almost painfully. He gasped and panted, trembling as he felt his thighs being pushed gently wider. Byakuya fell back, pulling Tetsuya down on top of him and attacking his mouth with more insistent, desirous kisses that sent shivers up and down his younger cousin's spine. Ichigo's hands wrapped around Tetsuya's slender hips, holding him in place as the heavily panting and feral-eyed Kuchiki heir began his entry. Instinctively, Tetsuya's mind went blank and his body relaxed.

_I have done this many times, after all, with Orochi in the prison. I have been quiet and cooperative while being taken by someone who didn't love me. My mind escaped so that I didn't feel what was being done to my body. I let him take what he wanted so that he wouldn't hurt Naoki and me. It was really hard to do, at first, but it became easier after a while._

"Tetsuya, open your eyes."

He sucked in a surprised breath and obeyed his cousin immediately. He shivered again, looking into Byakuya's hungry expression and feeling those dark, handsome orbs melt him inside.

"Are you all right?" his cousin asked in a concerned tone, "Your expression changed and you stopped touching me."

"I am fine," Tetsuya responded, smiling, although he wasn't sure at all if he was telling the truth.

"Are you sure about that?" Ichigo asked, resting his chin on Tetsuya's shoulder from behind, "Byakuya's right. All of a sudden, you seemed to go away from us."

"Well, wouldn't that be better, considering?" Tetsuya asked in reply, "After all, I am not your lover. I am a vessel to hold your child. I shouldn't..."

"Don't say that," Ichigo whispered, nuzzling his cheek and stealing a kiss, "You've been way more than that to us, and you know it. From the beginning, you knew that there was something that just clicked between us. Even when we weren't so sure, you were there to help Byakuya think things through and decide what to do. I'm glad he had you to listen to him and encourage him to follow his heart. And you protected us from those nosy elders. You've been a really good friend who we could trust and depend on, Tetsuya. And now, you're making things happen that we thought never would."

"Ichigo is right," Byakuya agreed, "We would neither be together or having this child if not for your love and support. Please, just feel our appreciation. Let it warm you inside while we make this miracle together."

It was, Tetsuya thought, the kind of thing that Naoki might have said. And the words the two men said to him seemed to reach far down inside him and calm him as he relaxed atop Byakuya's body, connected more intimately with his beloved cousin than he ever had dared to be. He shuddered softly and groaned feverishly as Ichigo came to rest along his back, carefully positioning himself, then very gradually joining with the two cousins.

Tetsuya was sure that his heart would simply explode as their hands and whispers soothed him again, making him forget swiftly the initial pain of their joining and leaving him enthralled as the two began to move. They alternated their thrusts, causing heavier friction that stole their breath and left them panting and moaning helplessly. Caught inescapably between the two, Tetsuya writhed and gasped with intense pleasure, his thoughts fading as he focused solely on the wonderful sensations of their joining. For a moment, he forgot that they were only making a baby, so immersed in the beauty of what was being done to his long deprived body.

_Orochi may have been doing something to me, but that only ever happened in the darkness and without my permission. This...this is so enchanting...to be looked at, held and touched with such affection! This is what I miss the most about being in love. I hope that I feel that again someday. I know it's something that Naoki wanted me to feel again. Those things he whispered into my ear as he made love to me, those things he wanted for us to experience together, I can still experience someday. This then feels like a promise that is coming. I will someday fall in love again...a love like that which Byakuya-sama and Ichigo-sama share._

_I won't be alone forever._

He closed his eyes, burying his face beneath Byakuya's chin and feasting on the soft flesh there, letting their steady, rhythmic movements lift him up into something that felt like complete euphoria and dragged sweet, helpless sounds from deep in his chest as pleasure flooded him from end to end and delicious, scathing heat filled him inside. And hearing the loud, erotic sounds the other two men made only intensified his own pleasure, leaving him quivering softly and exhausted, happily trapped between the two and suffering a soft, final barrage of finishing kisses before they drifted off together.

He wasn't sure how long he laid, immobilized by weariness and blissfully unaware, but when he came awake again, he did so feeling a relentless, gripping hunger, first for the food that had been left at their bedside, then for continuance of his joining with the other two men. They didn't waste their breath on speaking, but devoured the savory food, then wound themselves into a lovely, erotic tangle, joining more readily this time, immersing themselves fully in their task and wasting nothing on thoughts beyond that. Again and again, they repeated the breeder's mating ritual, only winding down and falling into a deeper, more tranquil sleep as the sun began to rise.

As their final joining ended, Tetsuya collapsed completely, sinking into a deep, restorative sleep and held tightly by the other two men.

"Huh," Ichigo huffed, smirking slightly as he nuzzled Tetsuya's soft cheek, "How come he gets to sleep like that and I'm still conscious?"

"His body has a lot of work to do," Byakuya explained, his face lit with happiness and affection, "The rendering of our essences and reiatsu tasks the breeder's body greatly, thus the need for complete rest."

"Do we have to call those old farts into the room now?" Ichigo complained, "I don't know about you, but I'd like to just stay the way we are for awhile. That was incredible!"

"You were incredible," Byakuya sighed sleepily, "And there is no rush. We are free to take our time. I am also in no hurry to move. I am more than content to stay here for as long as you desire."

"Heh, don't say that," Ichigo giggled, nipping at his lips, "We'll never get out of this room! Seriously, though, I feel a little uncomfortable here. Are you sure those old perverts aren't monitoring us somehow?"

"Well, I wouldn't put it past some of them," Byakuya sighed, "But they are getting what they want, so they cannot complain too much about how we make that happen. Still, I agree with you about not necessarily wanting to remain here. I would much rather recover with you at Kuchiki Manor."

Ichigo grinned and met Byakuya for a flurry of kisses, but his smile faded slightly as he looked down at Tetsuya's peaceful sleeping face.

"Byakuya, are you sure he'll be okay? He was pretty shaky before we started, and he was getting that way again during."

"He seemed all right as the ritual went on," Byakuya remembered, "But think about it, Ichigo. Last night, we didn't just treat him like a concubine."

"No," Ichigo agreed stiffly, "We treated him like a friend who was giving us the greatest gift one could."

"We treated him like a lover," Byakuya corrected him, looking somewhat guilty, "Now, we are planning to go back to my room and Tetsuya will wake up alone. You asked if he was all right. He may be now, but his emotions are sure to be high when he wakes up."

Ichigo's smile returned instantly.

"Then, we'll just have to be there," he concluded, "I don't give a damn what anyone thinks about it and you shouldn't either. The guy is carrying our child. And they're always pulling that crap about how you should 'best serve' your clan, ne? Well, it doesn't serve the clan if Tetsuya is in pain, physical or emotional, while carrying the heir, so I think we're duty bound to make sure that guy is kept healthy and happy all the way through."

"I agree," Byakuya said, climbing out of the bed and standing, "But I would ask that you leave explaining that to them in a palatable way to me, as your more, shall we say, impassioned explanations do more to rile than calm them."

"Sorry, that's just how I am," Ichigo chuckled.

Byakuya pulled him to his feet and captured him in a tight embrace.

"Never apologize for being yourself. That is why I fell in love with you, Ichigo."

They exchanged several more deep, penetrating kisses before walking to the door and speaking quietly into the intercom.

"Open the door," Byakuya said quietly, "The ritual is complete."

The door in front of them opened to admit the clan healer, who moved quickly to the bed and leaned over Tetsuya's deeply sleeping form, examining him for several minutes before he turned back towards the men waiting near the door.

"Counselor Orochi, you may report to the others that the ritual was successful. Kuchiki Tetsuya has been successfully impregnated and the heir's reiatsu cluster is viable."

Byakuya flinched at hearing Orochi's name and he glared meaningfully at his cousin as he joined them in the doorway. He nodded in acceptance of the order, but paused and glanced down at the unused implements at the side of the bed.

"Still refusing to follow protocols, ne Cousin?" he huffed, "You are not only unwise, but rather prudish. If you are going to use him for your pleasure, you should at least get the most out of it, right?"

"Bastard!" Byakuya hissed, grabbing Orochi by the shoulders and slamming him back against the chamber wall, "Tetsuya is not anyone's servant! I put an end to that a long time ago."

"Oh?" Orochi said archly, "Then, you are not just using him as a concubine? Because, you have told that council that is all it is. Were you lying to them, Byakuya? Is this a pretty little love triangle? How scandalous..."

"Get out of here!" Ichigo snapped, tearing him away from the door, "You heard the healer. Isn't there someone you're supposed to be reporting that to?"

"I am sure the council will be pleased to hear the heir is viable," Orochi said, recovering himself and straightening, "See that no harm befalls the breeder. It would be a shame to have such lovely efforts go to waste."

He turned and disappeared down the hallway as Ichigo slammed a fist against the door frame.

"Asshole!" he hissed, "He was watching us, wasn't he? That creepy...!"

"If...you will excuse me, sirs, I must..." the healer began.

He paused and his eyes widened anxiously as Byakuya's hand wrapped around his arm and the clan leader glared into his eyes.

"You were given leave to view what you needed for medical purposes, but you were the only one I gave permission to. Did you allow...?"

"No! No, sir! I would never do something like that!" the healer insisted, "I...was there alone, truly...all night. No one..."

"You don't look all that sure," Ichigo said, narrowing his eyes.

"Well...you know there are those on the council powerful enough to have overcome my will so that I would not remember."

"Son of a bitch! I knew it!" Ichigo shouted.

"Ichigo," Byakuya said, laying a restraining hand on his fiancè, "Even if they did, there is no proof that we can take to the council. Do not fret over it. I will make sure nothing like that ever happens again. Just...do not cross them right now. We need to get through the wedding without provoking them."

"I know," Ichigo sighed, scowling, "Fine, I'll leave it to you, then. But, can we get out of here?"

"I agree. Come."

"Wh-what about Tetsuya? We're not going to just leave him here, unconscious with them, are we?" Ichigo objected.

"Well, technically, attendants are assigned to..."

"Enough of that bullshit," the Shiba heir huffed, turning back into the room.

He gathered Tetsuya into his arm, smiling as he returned to where Byakuya waited in the doorway, wearing a pleased and flustered expression.

"You care nothing for rules or traditions, do you?" the Kuchiki leader said, shaking his head and fighting a smile.

"I care about my family and friends," Ichigo said firmly, "I don't care what name they slap on me, that's not going to change."

"I am very pleased to hear that," Byakuya sighed, relinquishing control and letting the edges of his mouth curve upward.


	7. Little Star

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Orochi tries again to interfere with the heir's conception.

"He hardly moves at all in his sleep," Ichigo mused, curling into Byakuya's arms and laying down in the bed in the attendant's recess, across the room from Tetsuya's softly moonlit, sleeping form, "He barely makes a sound."

Byakuya sighed softly, leaning into the Shiba heir's shoulder and closing his eyes for a moment.

"The children kept in Itamigiri quickly learned that if they wanted to avoid provoking their guards, they must be silent and retreat to the shadows in their cells. They rarely spoke above a whisper and Tetsuya told me that they grew so used to soft voices that the louder voices of the guards seemed quite painful. They were allowed only once a day to walk out into the courtyard garden in the natural light that seemed blinding to them, being that they were used to the darker environs of their cells. But even as dark and quiet as their world was, they brightened it for each other, setting up a network for communication and passage of secrets, protecting their cell mates as though they were brothers and all of them hoping for the day that rescue would come. I cringe to think of how long they waited and how many never reached freedom."

"Were a lot of them lost in the raid?" Ichigo asked, tilting his head slightly.

"Yes," Byakuya answered, blinking slowly, "I am convinced that Orochi gave us away, as the guards acted so quickly in reply to our arrival, but there was, of course, no evidence."

"That figures," Ichigo sighed, "He's real slippery, isn't he?"

"Yes. He is slippery, treacherous and dangerous. And he has an unnatural attachment to Tetsuya."

"I've noticed," Ichigo said darkly, "It's weird. On the one hand, he acts like he really looks down on Tetsuya, but on the other, he always seems to go out of his way to be involved somehow in his life...like he wants control."

"It was like that in the prison," Byakuya said, his frown deepening, "I sent Orochi with the task of keeping Tetsuya alive, which he did, but even so, he abused Tetsuya and Naoki terribly, himself. Oddly, when Tetsuya was rescued and I discovered what Orochi had been doing to him, it was Tetsuya who pleaded with me not to kill Orochi. I don't think defending Orochi was something he wanted to do, but he had just been through too much and couldn't bear the violence. I took prisoner statements before the elders, but they dismissed them as hearsay...likely tainted by the prisoners' emotions over being incarcerated."

"What?" Ichigo objected.

"I was furious, but my hands were tied. I was only heir, not leader, and even my grandfather could not get them to be reasonable. The entire issue of the prison and what happened there was just something that the elders wanted to sweep under the rug and forget."

"And the survivors right along with it too, huh?" Ichigo huffed disgustedly, "You know, that really makes me sick."

"The prisoners had been through hell in their incarceration and during the escape, but none of that entered into the elders' decision to keep the fallout quiet, to offer them a place, albeit a lower place, within the family, then pat themselves on the back for being accepting and showing tolerance. The rescued mixed bloods escaped prison, only to find themselves in servitude. I protected Tetsuya by bringing him to my side, but I could not protect all of them. Many succumbed to their grief over what had happened, some abandoned the family altogether and sought more peaceful lives in the Rukongai. With all Tetsuya suffered, I wondered if he, too, would benefit from being away from the family, but our healers warned me that he was just too physically and emotionally fragile. Besides, once we encountered each other, I couldn't let him go. And it wasn't just the link between our fathers. There was something very special about Tetsuya...a feeling I had that we were meant to be close to each other. He just seemed to fall naturally into place at my side and when I gained permission to train him in the use of his abilities he blossomed very quickly."

"Looking at him the way he is now, it's hard to imagine him being anything but strong," Ichigo commented.

Byakuya nodded appreciatively.

"When he came to me, Tetsuya's greatest desire was to leave behind his weakness and to become strong enough to earn a place as my protector. He didn't care that he was considered beneath the pureblood family members. That was not what drove him to succeed. And now, he is not only my greatest protector, but he holds the future of our clans within him."

Ichigo smiled and sought the Kuchiki heir's lips for several long, warm kisses.

"It's really amazing to think we're going to have children," the Shiba heir mused, "I don't feel old enough to have kids. I don't feel ready at all. But I can't wait."

"I am looking forward to this as well," Byakuya agreed, "Hisana was too fragile for childbearing, although the elders, after a time, pressured us into making the attempt. In fact, it was that Hisana became pregnant that weakened her body to the point of her dying."

"I'm sorry," Ichigo said sincerely, "But Byakuya, Tetsuya's body was also weakened by what happened when he was younger. You don't think he will have any complications because of that, do you? I wouldn't ever want to hurt him."

"Nor would I," Byakuya agreed, "But although his body was weakened from the poor conditions in the prison, he grew strong after he was freed and he has been fastidious about his health. I am sure that he will be fine bearing our children. I do think he will be somewhat fragile emotionally, for that he lost his own first child. Still, he seemed determined to assist us in this. And you and I will be here with him every step of the way. I only hope that when this task is done, he will finally open his heart to someone and seek marriage himself. He is a lovely young man and he deserves to be happy."

"I think so too," Ichigo said, smiling and curling more firmly into the Kuchiki heir's strong arms.

"Sleep now," Byakuya chided him, "Tetsuya is resting comfortably now. It's time for us to rest. The impregnation ritual is extremely taxing."

"You've got that right," Ichigo chuckled, resting his head on Byakuya's shoulder and closing his eyes.

Byakuya held the Shiba heir close, his dark eyes straying occasionally over to where Tetsuya rested as he drifted off to sleep.

XXXXXXXXXX

Tetsuya's sleeping mind turned hazily, weariness keeping him locked in repose, but the weight of the past creeping up to tug at him.

_"I didn't get you in trouble, did I?" he asked, keeping a hand on his stomach and leaning heavily against the older youth as fresh waves of nausea passed over him and his ear rang loudly, "I'm sorry, Naoki."_

_"You're sorry? Why are you sorry, baka?" Naoki chided him gently, his slim hand finding Tetsuya's and warming it in the darkness, "You are going to have our baby!"_

_A look of guilt swept over the younger boy's face._

_"What is it?" Naoki pleaded, "Tetsuya, aren't you happy? We are going to have a baby and as horrible as Orochi-sama is, he is going to help us get away before they find out."_

_"But I don't trust Orochi-sama. He is cruel, Naoki. And even though he is a father of the baby too, I don't think he loves his child. He calls us an abomination because our blood is mixed, but he made this child with us by accident. I worry he will do something bad to us. I am afraid. I wish this was just our child."_

_"I do too," Naoki agreed, "But we have to just focus on the little things. This baby will be small and beautiful and innocent. And because Orochi-sama is going to help us get out of here, our child will be free, Tetsuya. Our baby will grow up never knowing what it's like to be caged as we are. Close your eyes now. Sleep. You'll feel better after you've rested."_

Tetsuya felt his awareness returning and opened one sleepy eye to find that he had been returned to his own room. At first, he felt an odd shaft of loneliness, waking up by himself, but then he sensed someone else was in the room and turned his head to find that Byakuya and Ichigo were curled up together and sleeping in the attendant's recess. His bed still felt too large and somewhat empty, but it was bracing to not really be alone. He let a hand slide down to rest on his warm belly and smiled at the presence of the new baby's tiny reiatsu.

_I had almost forgotten what it felt like to carry a child, he mused inwardly, I can't really feel lonely as long as this baby is growing inside me._

It was such a lovely, warm and pleasant feeling, it brought the energy back into his somewhat taxed body. And despite the flickers of residual pain that erupted in his back and loins upon moving, he found himself eager to abandon his bed and step out into the chill morning air.

He breathed in deeply, stepping down off of the wooden walkway and into the icy, dewy grass, not minding that it soaked his bare feet and would have left one who didn't command water shivering. His ability left him delightfully unaware of any discomfort from the cold and damp as he crossed the lawn and headed for the edge of the koi pond. The moon was just setting, just beginning to fade, but still lit the mist that hung like a ghostly robe over the gardens. Tetsuya wandered contentedly within it, his mind wandering as aimlessly as his feet.

But he snapped back to awareness as he entered a cluster of trees and felt a strong arm wrap around his waist and hot fingertips touch the hidden sigil on his cheek to immobilize him.

"S-stop!" he gasped, his mind whirling as he tried to force his frozen body to move.

"Fool," Orochi chided him, tasting the soft flesh of his cousin's pale throat, then biting at his earlobe sharply, "I will never stop."

"What are you going to...?"

Tetsuya flinched sharply and went silent, his senses fading as a sharp sting registered on one slender ankle. Orochi watched the coherence go out of his eyes, then eased his cousin to the ground and knelt in front of him.

"I am doing what I have to," the black-eyed noble said, reaching out and slowly undressing the younger noble, "I need a legitimate claim to the child you are having, and this is the only way to achieve that. Not that I mind. For some reason I can't explain, indulging in you is always a sinful pleasure, Tetsuya."

He slid a hand down his cousin's slender torso, pausing to caress his blushing privates, then exploring his still damp entrance and glaring down at Tetsuya's troubled sleeping face.

"I'll kill them for touching what is mine," he growled softly, "And if you think I'll let you off without punishment for whoring yourself like this, think again."

He wrapped hardened fingers around Tetsuya's limp wrist tightly enough to leave it bruised.

"I will tie you up and blindfold you, gag you so that you can't scream and do unthinkable things to you while you lie helpless!" he hissed, "You will never dare to defy me again, Tetsuya. Never!"

Orochi's body trembled with aggressive energy as he parted Tetsuya's unresisting thighs and began to lower himself between them. But as he moved to make his conquest, sudden voices from near the manor made him freeze for a moment, then hastily set his cousin's clothing back in place and recall and mask his reiatsu as someone approached.

"Tetsuya!" Ichigo called worriedly, looking around the area quickly as Byakuya scanned an area nearby, "Tetsuya, are you out here?"

"Should we sound the house alarms, sir?" Torio asked, shivering and pulling his robe more tightly around his slim frame.

Byakuya paused to consider the question, then abandoned all thought of it as Ichigo spotted a dark form collapsed on the ground ahead of him and cried out in dismay.

"Tetsuya!"

He dropped onto his knees at the blue-eyed noble's side and shook him gently as Byakuya flash stepped to join them.

"Tetsuya, come on. Wake up! Are you hurt?"

Tetsuya's lips moved, but yielded only incoherent, soft moans as Byakuya dropped down next to him and pulled him close.

"Tetsuya!"

"B-bya..." the younger Kuchiki managed, his teeth chattering as cold somehow managed to penetrate his defenses.

"I've called for the clan healer," Koji panted, running to join them.

"We need to get him warm," Byakuya said sternly, lifting Tetsuya's limp body and carrying him across the grounds to the large bathing chamber, "Tetsuya's ability usually protects him from the cold, but the mating ritual and pregnancy may be suppressing that ability."

He paused at the edge of the huge, heated pool, holding Tetsuya as Ichigo undressed him and the two attendants disrobed and placed small wraps around their waists. Byakuya turned his cousin over to the younger men, then hastily undressed and moved to join them. Torio and Koji set Tetsuya gently in one of the bubbling soaking areas, then knelt in the water alongside him, supporting his body carefully as he sank beneath the surface. Byakuya and Ichigo took up positions on either side of the semiconscious noble, infusing his body steadily with stabilizing reiatsu. Tetsuya's sleepy eyes opened and blinked, then gradually began to clear. After a time, he pulled free of the attendants and sat up in the water. Ichigo moved in behind him, supporting Tetsuya's back against his chest as Byakuya knelt in front of him, holding Tetsuya's face in his hands and gazing steadily into his eyes.

"Are you all right now, watashi no itoko?" he asked solemnly.

"Yes," Tetsuya assured him, "I'm fine now. Thank you."

"What were you doing outside?" Ichigo asked, "You could have frozen to death out there."

"I-I'm sorry," the blue-eyed noble said penitently, "Usually the cold doesn't bother me. I didn't realize that my powers would be affected so soon."

"But do you remember what happened? Did you feel ill? Were you dizzy before you collapsed?"

"I...don't know," Tetsuya confessed, looking down into the rippling water, "Everything is really hazy. But I do feel all right now. Again, I am sorry for worrying you. I only meant to take a walk in the gardens."

"Tetsuya, it was unwise of you to go outside alone," Byakuya rebuked him gently, taking the younger man's hands in his, "In addition to your body being taxed by the heir's conception, do not forget that while in this state, you are even more vulnerable to our cousin, Orochi's, interference. Did you see him? Was he in any way involved in this?"

"I don't know," Tetsuya replied, scratching the back of his neck and sighing unhappily, "I really can't remember anything after stepping down onto the grass."

"Byakuya-sama," said another attendant's voice from the entryway, "the healer has arrived and is waiting in Tetsuya-san's bedroom."

"Thank you, Akio."

Ichigo helped Tetsuya to his feet and supported him as he waded to the edge of the bathing pool. Koji quickly dressed him and the two attendants led him back to his room as Byakuya and Ichigo hastily dressed and moved to follow.

"Do you really think Orochi was involved in this?" Ichigo asked, slipping a hand into his lovely mate's.

"I don't know," Byakuya said in a low voice, "but if I find out that he is, there is no place that man can go that I will not pursue him. He will not hurt Tetsuya again."

"Right," Ichigo agreed, "You and I won't let him. But he's not the only one we have to watch out for."

"I am aware. We are going to have to look out for each other carefully as Tetsuya's pregnancy progresses. The gestation itself will present its challenges, but the greatest danger will come from those who are less than pleased at seeing this child come to be."

"We'll guard Tetsuya and the baby," Ichigo promised, "We won't let anything bad happen to them."

Byakuya stopped at Tetsuya's doorway, looking out into the gardens at the place where they had found his collapsed cousin.

"I only hope that our strength is enough to protect them," he sighed, turning to follow Ichigo into the bedroom.

"Tetsuya-san's reiatsu seems stable now," the healer reported, "and the baby's reiatsu is resonating strongly."

"That's good," Ichigo said in a relieved tone.

"Thank you. That will be all," Byakuya added, dismissing the healer and attendants.

Ichigo looked down at Tetsuya's slightly flushed face and embarrassed expression and smiled.

"You know, Byakuya," he said, crossing his arms, "This guy here gets into a lot of trouble. I don't know if I trust him to get any rest. I think the minute we turn our backs, he'll be out in that garden again."

"I said I was sorry!" Tetsuya insisted, frowning.

"But Ichigo has a point," Byakuya noted, "Here we were even within your room and still you slipped away without us noticing."

"Seems like there's only one way to make sure that you rest for a while," Ichigo said, smirking and sliding into Tetsuya's bed on one side as Byakuya climbed in on the other. The two curled their bodies snugly around the younger Kuchiki's, leaving Tetsuya trapped between them.

"I don't think he'll be escaping anymore, do you?" Ichigo chuckled.

"No," Byakuya agreed, kissing his cousin on the back of a pale shoulder, "I think we can all get some much needed rest now without worrying that he will wander."

Tetsuya wanted to argue, but couldn't resist the intense warmth and closeness of the other two men.

"Ah," he sighed in capitulation, "I think I shall have to content myself here for the duration."

"A wise decision," Byakuya said, brushing Tetsuya's eyes closed as he and Ichigo each planted a kiss on one soft cheek.

Outside the room, a pair of angry black eyes watched from within the nearby trees.

"They will watch you closely now," he said solemnly, "I won't be able to mingle my reiatsu with theirs, so I can't steal paternity as I had hoped. But if I can't be one of the child's fathers, then there is no choice. History must repeat itself, Tetsuya. But don't worry. Even though I must end the life of the heir and kill those two who dared to touch you, I will keep you alive. When they are gone and leadership is mine, I will fill you with heirs to our kingdom. I will not hesitate to kill anyone in the way of that fate. You and I will be together in the end...no matter what it takes!"


	8. Protection

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Byakuya and Ichigo worry as Tetsuya tries to cope with his growing loneliness and intensifying emotions.

Tetsuya woke the next morning to find himself alone in his bed, but with Koji in the attendant's recess, awake and watching over him. He started to speak, then felt a wave of nausea rise up inside him. He barely managed to climb onto his feet, then the nausea overtook him and he dropped to his knees. He barely saw the small wastebasket Koji shoved in front of him as he surrendered to the feeling of illness.

"This is the not-so-fun part, ne?" Koji said, rubbing his back gently.

"S-sorry," Tetsuya apologized.

"There is no need to apologize," Koji chuckled, "It means that the baby is healthy, ne? That is a good thing, Tetsuya-san."

"Thank you, Koji," Tetsuya said gratefully.

He smiled up at Byakuya and Ichigo as they entered the room, both wearing sleeping yukatas and looking slightly flushed.

"Oh, I'm sorry to have disturbed you, Byakuya-sama. I really am all right. You don't need to rush down here every time I sneeze..."

"Or throw up?" Ichigo teased him.

"Or throw up," Tetsuya repeated, more seriously, "I have been pregnant before. I know how to take care of myself, and this time, I even have attendants and healers helping me. You must focus on each other and your wedding...not worrying over me."

"I think we can decide for ourselves what to attend to," Byakuya scolded him gently.

"My apologies..."

"None are necessary," Byakuya assured him, "We were just checking in to make sure you were comfortable."

"Well, now that I've gotten that over with, I am rather hungry," Tetsuya informed them.

"I will go to Matsuko and have her make your breakfast," Koji offered.

"I seem to be craving sweets this morning...light rather than dark."

"Very well, I will tell her," Koji said, sponging off Tetsuya's pale face, then flash stepping away as Byakuya and Ichigo watched Tetsuya climb back into his bed.

"Are you sure that you are all right?" Byakuya asked.

"I am fine, really," Tetsuya insisted, "Throwing up is perfectly normal, as are the cravings. My body is hard at work, growing your child. Please, Byakuya-sama, as much as I understand your concern about my emotional state, I assure you I am quite happy being completely spoiled by my attendant. You and Ichigo-sama need to give your attention to each other now."

Ichigo laughed softly.

"I think we're being told to scram, ne Byakuya?"

"It seems so," the clan leader agreed, looking equally amused, "Come then. We will continue our...prior conversation."

Tetsuya watched the two leave, then laid quietly in his bed, letting himself be comforted by the close presence of the house guards outside his door. He looked down at his slim belly and rubbed the area gently, smiling at the flicker of life he felt under his caressing palm.

"It will be a while before you reach sentience," he whispered, "but even now, I can feel that you are there. I know you aren't mine for very long, but for just this time, you will be. Then, you will be made heir and..."

He swallowed hard at the knowledge that, as a clan concubine, his name would not even appear on the child's birth record.

 _Not the council record_ , he reminded himself, _but I know Byakuya-sama writes everything into his personal journal, so even if it is never spoken of and my connection to the heir is not acknowledged...someone, somewhere will know. And I will always know. The disregard that the elders feel for my kind can't erase me completely, even though they would like to._

_But I must put these thoughts out of my head. This child will grow inside me, only feeling the love and peace I feel in giving this gift to Byakuya-sama and Ichigo-sama. I don't want anything to interfere with that._

It was easy enough to feel peaceful as he laid in his bed, gazing out through the garden doors and smelling the fresh scents of the flowers and grass, listening to the cheerful morning sounds of birds chirping. He drifted off and remained restful until his attendant's step woke him to find a tray filled with a hearty portion of food deposited in front of him. He began to devour the delicious offerings and had worked his way through about half, when he heard voices outside and realized.

_Byakuya-sama and Ichigo-sama are having breakfast in the gardens._

He set his tray aside and crept to his bedroom door, then peeked out and watched as Ichigo pulled out Byakuya's chair, then kissed him on the cheek and lips as he settled. Attendants set their food in front of them and filled two champagne glasses, which the lovers lifted and touched together.

"To the old relics finally letting us be together," Ichigo chuckled.

"To our life together and to lifelong love," Byakuya added, "And to our little one."

"And let's not forget the one who made it happen," said Ichigo, bringing a smile to Tetsuya's lips, "I love Tetsuya so much for doing this for us."

"I do as well," Byakuya agreed.

Tetsuya ducked back as Byakuya's eyes flicked momentarily in the direction of his room.

"I do worry about his state of mind, however," the clan leader went on, "Ichigo, this is starting out well, but as things move forward and nature takes over the process, he is likely to be emotionally fragile. I don't want him to be hurt."

"Neither do I," Ichigo said resolutely.

"We are contending with a lot of prejudice, not to mention that the hormone changes will affect him...and Tetsuya has things in his past that may cause him pain as things move along. He did lose his own child."

"Has he...ever talked about having another of his own?"

"No. I think that is a doorway he considered closed. But perhaps having this child for us will also help him to reclaim his desire to have a love and a family of his own. I want that for him, Ichigo. I love the Tetsuya has been so devoted to me, but he deserves to find his own happiness."

"I think so too. But has he ever shown an interest in anyone? I mean, I've noticed that he and Koji are close. Is it considered wrong for him to have a relationship with an attendant?"

"There is nothing inherently wrong with it," Byakuya explained, "as long as they are discreet. But the relationship that Tetsuya has with Koji, although very close, is a bond of brotherhood. They have never shown that kind of interest in each other."

"What about that guy from your division...Rikichi? He was over here delivering a message the other day and I saw him watching Tetsuya pretty closely."

Byakuya sighed.

"Rikichi is certainly a gentle and loyal person, but I don't know that he would make a good partner for Tetsuya. I suppose it's my pride in his abilities. He's become so strong, I think I see him with a more powerful partner."

Ichigo smirked.

"Renji?"

"No."

"Whoa, that was a pretty stern answer," Ichigo noted, "Why not?"

"Renji is a handsome man, and he is powerful, but he also has a reputation for dating young, beautiful men...a lot of them. Tetsuya should never have to be compared to someone's laundry list of lovers. He is an exceptional young man, a brilliant fighter and very devoted to the people he loves. He deserves the same."

Ichigo gave the Kuchiki leader a sly look.

"Hey, not to piss you off or anything, but you know you won't make it easier for Tetsuya to find a lover if you're so selective."

"I am not being overly selective," Byakuya said, scowling, "I am only wanting the best for someone I love."

"Yeah, I know," Ichigo chuckled, good naturedly, "but listening to you, the only ones who could be good enough for him are you or me, and we're taken. You don't want him to be alone, do you?"

A light flush rose on Byakuya's face and throat and he backpedaled mentally.

"I suppose I am being unfairly judgmental," he admitted, "I just don't want to see him unhappy with someone who doesn't deserve him. After what Orochi put him through..."

Tetsuya heard Koji's footsteps approaching and shied away from the doorway, returning to his bed and sitting down on the edge. His attendant stepped into the room and observed him curiously.

"Tetsuya-san, were you ill again?" he asked sympathetically.

"Oh...no, I am fine," he assured the other young man, "I was just...stretching a bit."

He glanced at the half-eaten food, but felt strangely uninterested in it.

"I'll leave you to finish your meal then," Koji said, starting to turn away.

"Koji?"

His attendant paused and turned to look at him with a curious expression.

"Koji, do you...? Erm...do you ever...?" he began awkwardly.

Koji smiled kindly.

"Do I ever what, Tetsuya-san?"

Tetsuya blushed and swallowed anxiously.

"Do you ever...?"

He let out a frustrated breath and shook his head.

"S-sorry. Never mind. I am finished, thank you."

Koji looked back at him uncertainly.

"Are you sure?" he asked, frowning, "You seemed to have quite an appetite before. Is something wrong?"

"Ah...no," Tetsuya said in a flustered tone, "I am just...a little restless, I suppose."

"Would you like to take a walk in the gardens?"

Tetsuya experienced a thin sliver of sadness as he thought about Byakuya and Ichigo trading bites of their food, kissing, talking and laughing, then walking together, holding hands.

"I don't know..."

Koji observed his troubled expression and sat down on the bed beside him, taking his hands.

"Tetsuya-san, you seem unhappy," he said calmly, "You don't have to talk to me about it if you don't want to, but you know I will always listen and try to help."

"Yes," Tetsuya acknowledged, his eyes tearing slightly as he squeezed his attendant's hands gently, "Koji has always been a good friend and confidante. It is just that...I..."

_I'm just feeling lonely. I felt love touch me last night and it brought something in me back to life. I want to be loved, but...by who? Koji is my friend._

_Just a friend, right?_

His damp eyes looked more deeply into Koji's friendly ones and he leaned forward slightly, a tickle in his insides as he noticed the other young man was blushing. Tetsuya's lips trembled and he tried to close the distance, but in the end, only hugged Koji tightly and kissed him on the cheek.

"Thank you so much for taking care of me," he said gratefully, "I know I am a handful sometimes."

Koji's lips smiled warmly.

"I am always pleased to serve you."

"I wasn't so pleasant when I froze half of this wing on my first night here," he countered.

"You were new to this place," Koji reminded him, "and I wasn't hurt. All of the damage was fixable."

"Then, there was the time only days later when I ran off and you spent hours looking for me and worrying."

"You were alone and outside of the prison for the first time."

"I was so awkward. I knew nothing, Koji!" Tetsuya objected, "I didn't know the first thing about proper manners, how to eat, what was okay to eat, how to behave with elders or women or...anyone! Koji...!"

"Please don't worry about all of that," Koji chided him, shaking his head, "You learned quickly."

"I was still just a savage," Tetsuya argued, "Even now, I feel more comfortable wearing no clothes and being out in nature than with people. How is anyone ever going to fall in love with me! I am so...different! The only one who even notices me is Orochi, and I don't want him to notice me!"

"Of course not," Koji said supportively, "We won't let that monster anywhere near you. Don't worry, Tetsuya-san."

He paused and thought for a moment.

"And don't worry about all of those other things either. I think I understand what is bothering you. You were with Byakuya-sama and Ichigo-sama sexually to make their child, and you experienced what their love feels like. It's only natural that you would start to think about falling in love again."

"But why would anyone want someone like me, Koji? Those who are noble born look down on me for being a half-blood and the commoners are put off by my noble blood. Add to that, I could never see myself making love to a woman! I am just...hopeless."

He closed his eyes against the tears that welled up in them.

"Why did Naoki have to die?" he whispered sadly, "He was like me. He understood everything and never thought I was awkward or strange. He really loved me. I never knew that kind of love before and I am so afraid I will never feel that again!"

"Shh, it's all right," Koji assured him, wrapping his arms around Tetsuya and hugging him tightly, "Tetsuya-san, your emotions are being amplified by the conception of the heir. You know that's why you feel so out of sorts."

"I know," Tetsuya sobbed into his attendant's warm shoulder, "and I'm sorry for leaning on you, but I don't want Byakuya-sama and Ichigo-sama to know. They are happy now that their baby is on the way. The last thing I want is for them to regret entrusting this to me."

"Watashi no itoko," Byakuya said from the doorway, shocking Tetsuya out of his tears, "I would never entrust something of such importance to anyone but you. For many years now, you have had my complete trust."

Tetsuya looked back at him through devastated eyes.

"I am sorry," he whispered, "You must be so disappointed..."

"No," Byakuya answered, as he and Ichigo entered the room and sat in the chairs near his bedside, "I am not disappointed. I am grateful."

"Me too," Ichigo added, "Without you, we wouldn't even be together at all."

"Oh," Tetsuya said, blushing, "I'm sure you would have found a way, with or without me. Anyone could see that you belong together. It wasn't just me."

Byakuya smiled gently and shook his head.

"But we didn't. We needed you, and you were there. Now, you need us to help you through the disruption of carrying our child. Tetsuya, your volatile emotions are to be expected. They are not an aberration, and you shouldn't be afraid to let us see them. You have been there for Ichigo and me, let us be there for you."

"But that is just the thing," Tetsuya said, regaining some stability in his voice, "Byakuya-sama, you and Ichigo-sama can't help me. You can't change this part of my life. It has been over a hundred years and I have not fallen in love, nor has anyone fallen for me. Sometimes, there isn't a second chance. I know you found love after Hisana-sama, but I am not like you. I am...different."

"You're not so different," Ichigo argued, "Maybe you just weren't ready for that love to come along. Kami knows I never thought I'd fall in love. But the right person and the right time came, and now I am in love. You'll find that again. You will, Tetsuya."

Tetsuya looked from Koji's sad face to Byakuya and Ichigo's concerned ones, then dropped his gaze.

"I am...sure you're right," he said, knowing every word was a lie and hating himself for it, "I am sorry for my outburst. We all knew already that the hormone changes would affect me. Please don't worry. I will be fine. I will have some tea and let Koji spoil me with a warm bath."

"That sounds like a very good idea," Byakuya agreed, sounding relieved, "Ichigo and I have to leave for a while on wedding business. Our official courtship has begun, so we will be beginning preparations for our marriage."

"That is good," Tetsuya said, forcing a smile, "Well, except for the hoops you will have to jump through...but love is worth such things."

"Yeah," Ichigo agreed, looking at Byakuya and smiling at how it made the Kuchiki leader flush slightly around the face and throat, "It's worth it all."

Tetsuya watched them leave, alongside Koji, who exited to make his tea.

"Even having to suffer Orochi's torment meant nothing to me when I had Naoki's love."

_But without him, nothing means anything..._


	9. Hidden Wonders

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tetsuya's loneliness takes him in a dangerous direction.

It was well before dawn when Tetsuya felt the familiar swell of nausea that had him on his feet and moving quickly towards the bathroom, as Koji appeared to comfort him while he expelled what little was in his stomach, then stumbled back to bed. He laid quietly, breathing slowly and his mind wandering aimlessly, something he had learned to do while passing the time in the little, dark cell that had been his and Naoki's home.

_"Did you know," Naoki asked him, letting his fingers gently explore Tetsuya's smudged flesh, "that we can teach ourselves to be content, Tetsuya-san? That even though we are locked up and barely allowed any light, food, warmth or kindness, we can still have reasons to smile and laugh, to feel hope?"_

_"I feel hope when I am being held by you," Tetsuya answered, "It's like when Orochi-sama hurts me, being held by you is better than being treated by the healer. The cuts and bruises go away on their own, but I need you to make my heart feel better. If I didn't have you, I don't think I could believe that I was anything but the refuse he tells me I am. But Naoki, if I am refuse,then why does Orochi-sama want to touch me all over? Why does he do those things to me if I am such an abomination and I don't even deserve to be alive?"_

_Naoki traced the lines of Tetsuya's face in the darkness and kissed him comfortingly._

_"Orochi-sama is cruel, but there is even hope in what he does to you, Tetsuya-san. You see, it is proof that he is lying, even to himself. We are not refuse. We are not worthless. And we haven't done a thing wrong. Our parents loved each other and we are here because of that love. What's wrong is that some people are very hateful and don't want the commoners to find happiness with the people of pure blood. Just remember that not all people with pure blood feel that way. There are good and bad people who have pure blood, just like there are good and bad people who have peasant blood. What matters is how people act."_

"You were right, Naoki," Tetsuya whispered, almost feeling the cold tips of his former cellmate's fingers running all over his body, tracing, soothing and memorizing, "There are a lot of people here who have pure blood and who are a blessing...Koji, Matsuko-san, Masato-san, our horse master, Torio-san, Akio-san and of course, Byakuya-sama and Ichigo-sama. And although Orochi still claims that my blood is toxic, he desires me, even though he doesn't want to. Not that he would ever admit something like that."

Tetsuya glanced at the open inner door to his bedroom and sighed softly, then breathed the soft command for his shikai and left an image of himself tucked into his bed, while he made his true body translucent and left the bed. He slipped out of his room and into the quiet gardens, sensing that Arashi was dozing in his stall in the barn and moving silently in the shadows, keeping his thoughts shielded, so as not to wake his equine familiar.

_I just need to think._

_I just need to feel the soft grass under my feet and breathe in the fresh air. I need to hear the rushing of the water in the stream and to taste the sweet spring berries. There are some very good things in my life. I need to appreciate those good things and not worry so much about the things that are not right just yet._

He paused for a moment, realizing suddenly that his path had taken him close to the border between Kuchiki Manor and the huge estate where Orochi's subfamily lived. He started to turn back, then heard a soft, sleepy voice speaking somewhere ahead of him. He angled towards the sound, keeping himself covered by his shikai, so that he wouldn't be seen.

"You are a torment, aren't you Tetsuya?" Orochi's weary voice mused, "Tugging and pulling at me, teasing me day and night. Do you know how much I would give to never have your face appear in my mind, to never hear your voice tasking me? And you hurt me in little ways. I notice the servant boys with this or that feature that reminds me of you. I taste their flesh, but it feels empty and dull because it's not yours. I was taught never to take comfort in the ones of mixed blood, because their flavors and textures are addictive. Our pure bodies sense the noble essences in the blood and we want to be close to that. But you are also carrying lesser blood that pollutes us. The common blood weakens our bloodline. It takes power that the king has granted us and shares it with those never meant to receive it...men of low standing, not raised to honor the contract we share with his majesty. Why have some that are called noble and raised above the others if we then turn and mingle with the ones of common origin? Aren't we just throwing away a gift that was given to us? Aren't we turning away from our duty by making lesser sons who will never rise up to support the king?"

"Do you even remember the quincy war?" Tetsuya breathed softly, his words escaping before he could stop them, "There were plenty of men of common descent, using their powers right alongside the ones raised in noble houses. There were men and women of the low Rukongai, soldiers who didn't stop to think about what kind of blood ran in their veins. They forgot everything but that it was crucial to protect our families, our homes, our way of life. We were fighting for the same thing, Orochi. And you can be certain that most reasonable folks have not forgotten that."

A slow smile spread over Orochi's wickedly handsome face.

"So, you can't sleep either?" he mused, "Why don't you show yourself, Tetsuya?

"No."

"Are you really still so afraid of me?" Orochi asked, shaking his head, "But then, if you are here, then you are unaccompanied. That begs the question, why you would risk yourself while carrying Byakuya's child? Are the questions that plague your mind so tormenting that you would become reckless enough to come here? What are you looking for by being here? What is keeping you awake?"

Tetsuya froze for a moment.

"Tetsuya?"

"Your hands," Tetsuya answered, "I was remembering that after you used to abuse me and you thought I was sleeping in your arms, your hands...your fingers would touch my skin the same way that Naoki's did. But only when you thought I wasn't aware."

Orochi expelled a soft, sarcastic laugh.

"If you hate me enough to hurt me, then why touch me with such different hands after?"

"I used to ask myself the same question," Orochi confessed, "And do you know what was the only reason that made sense?"

Tetsuya remained silent and still carefully concealed within his shikai.

"I told you that you were confused by the mixed blood in your veins. You longed to be held up and respected by the purebloods, but you never will, because you will always be lesser. Your pure blood that came from your father makes you want to be accepted, but your common blood keeps it from happening."

"I wasn't asking about me. I was asking about you," Tetsuya persisted.

Orochi frowned and peered into the trees, noting that the environs were growing slowly brighter as dawn approached.

"You came here to ask me that question?" he mused, "I think it's obvious."

"Are you going to answer me?"

"Come out of hiding and I'll answer you, Tetsuya," Orochi challenged him.

"Do you think I'm that stupid?" Tetsuya countered, "I am not going to let you touch me."

Orochi smiled.

"But that's what you really want, isn't it?"

"I don't ever want to feel your hands on me again!" Tetsuya said sharply.

"You don't want me to hurt you," Orochi acknowledged, "but you do want me to touch you...just, gently. Isn't that right? You are confused, Tetsuya. You want to hate me, but you can't. You want to escape me, but you won't. You never want to feel me touch you again, but you long for the way I touched you before, don't you? Isn't that why you're here?"

"No," Tetsuya said firmly, "I just want to understand."

"If you want to understand, then come to me. I will not try to kidnap you. Now that you have his brat inside you, he will be able to find you anywhere I could hide you. You really have nothing to fear by coming closer. And I promise, I will answer your question."

"You can answer me without seeing or touching me," Tetsuya said stiffly.

"But I will only answer you if you make a concession as well. I've told you there's nothing to be afraid of. Show yourself...or leave without an answer. It is your choice, but I think we'll get more sleep once I've told you."

Tetsuya hesitated, his heart pounding and his mind whirling.

_I need to understand._

He stared at Orochi's dangerously handsome form, waiting quietly in the area just ahead of him.

_He is right that Byakuya-sama could use the baby's reiatsu to find me if it came to that...but..._

"The sun is about to rise, Tetsuya," Orochi warned him.

"Fine," Tetsuya capitulated, stepping forward and shedding his waterform, "I am here. Now, answer me."

Orochi gazed at him in silence, enjoying the little breeze that ruffled the waves of his hair and the soft folds of the yukata he was wearing, the gentle scent of him that radiated in the air, and the familiar touch of his vibrant reiatsu. He extended a hand and waited as Tetsuya stared at it for a moment, then accepted it and let himself be folded into an embrace that was like a snake winding around its prey.

_I shouldn't be letting him do this to me._

_Whatever answer he gives me will hold no comfort._

_This was a mistake._

Orochi's strangely warm lips found his and caressed them with unexpected affection.

_Like we might be lovers who have been apart for a long time._

_But I am not this man's lover, nor is he mine._

_What is this connection between us?_

_What keeps bringing us back to this place?_

"You asked me how I could spend hours making you suffer, then touch you with such affection when I thought you were sleeping?"

"Yes."

Orochi met him for a longer, more passionate kiss, then brought his lips to Tetsuya's blushing earlobe.

"You confuse me too," he whispered, "I was raised to believe that pure blood was a gift our king granted only us, in return for our obedience. Every day while I was growing up, my father told me that we were different from the commoners, and that we shouldn't forget that. He said that love that crossed those lines gave the king's powers to those who weren't worthy and who wouldn't honor the commitments we made in return for being granted that power."

Tetsuya stared dazedly into Orochi's deep, black eyes, waiting.

"Part of being granted great power was being responsible for protecting and controlling it. Mixing our blood with common blood puts that power beyond our control. You are strong now, Tetsuya. And if you weren't held down by the rules and traditions that Byakuya and your adoptive noble family impressed upon you, your power could endanger people."

"I would never..."

"But everyone isn't like you," Orochi said, "You...defy everything I was taught, Tetsuya...and that fascinates me. That...is why I sometimes can't hate you, why my hands are sometimes soft and gentle with you. And it's why we're both having trouble sleeping."

"You think that my mixed blood is confusing us?" Tetsuya asked, a shiver going through him as Orochi's warm hands slipped beneath his yukata and caressed his skin slowly, in that same, hauntingly gentle way.

"Isn't it?" Orochi asked, "Can you think of another reason why we're both here and unable to sleep?"

Tetsuya gazed up at him wordlessly, unable to conjure an answer.

"Will you come to bed with me?" Orochi asked suddenly, making his heart pound harder and his limbs shake softly with horrific memory.

"You are still frightened by me," Orochi mused, "You should be. But you know I can't do anything to you right now. Are you just afraid Byakuya will learn you were here? Do you plan to tell him?"

"I know you won't, so don't bother threatening me," Tetsuya said warily, "I have to go."

A little shock went through him as Orochi's arms instantly released him. Orochi gave him a sly smile.

"Are you surprised?" he asked in a slightly mocking tone, "You are well protected now, Tetsuya, but it won't always be like that. See how quickly things change when you deliver that baby, and Byakuya and Ichigo completely forget you, as everyone else will."

"Stop it!" Tetsuya snapped, "you're just being cruel."

"Yes," Orochi agreed, surprising him again, "sometimes the truth is a cruel thing, isn't it? But you and I shouldn't be afraid of the truth, Tetsuya. We've been looking it in the face for over a hundred years now. I am attracted to you, and you to me. And that attraction will continue to bring us together, one way or another."

"No," Tetsuya said, backing away, "No, it won't."

"Don't fool yourself. I don't want it to either," Orochi assured him, "But I know it will. It brought you here tonight, Tetsuya. And it will bring you back when you realize that there is nowhere else you can go...no one else who will understand what you're feeling, the way I do."

Orochi fell silent, watching as the first shafts of morning light came through the trees and lit Tetsuya's lovely form.

"You had best go now," Orochi sighed, "You don't want him to know, do you? What would he think of you daring to come near me?"

Tetsuya backed away, then disappeared in a blazing flash step and continued to flee until he reached the top of the rushing waterfall that overlooked a calm lake and meadow, near to the Kuchiki home and gardens. He stood, panting and shaking, gazing down at the fall of water, at the long, green grasses that waved gently in the wind.

_He can't be right, can he?_

He sensed someone near the waterform he had left in his bed, and focused on it to return himself there as Koji entered the room, bearing a tray heaping with food and fresh, hot green tea.

"Good morning, Tetsuya-san," Koji greeted him, laying the tray in his lap, "You look better this morning."

"Well, I already threw up for the morning," Tetsuya sighed, taking enough bites so that his worried attendant would be pacified and take his leave.

He waited until Koji was gone, then crept to his bedroom door and spotted Byakuya and Ichigo walking in the gardens and holding hands.

"You didn't sleep well," Ichigo said in a concerned tone, "You're still worried about him, aren't you?"

"Shouldn't I be?" Byakuya asked, looking down into the koi pond through saddened eyes, "I told you, I could see very well last night that Tetsuya was only saying what he wanted us to hear. This is tearing him apart inside, Ichigo. Maybe it was..."

Tetsuya sucked in a sharp breath as Ichigo placed a staying hand over Byakuya's mouth and wrapped his other arm around him, holding him close.

"Don't say it was a mistake, please? We knew that it was going to be difficult, but remember that it was the only way for us to be together. It's the only thing the council would have accepted."

Byakuya lifted a hand and brushed Ichigo's away, freeing his mouth to answer.

"Ichigo, sometimes the price of something very good can simply be too high a price to pay."

Ichigo tightened his arms around Byakuya and kissed him on the cheek, then on the frowning lips.

"It's going to be okay. I promise it will be. Tetsuya is having a really tough time, but he knows that he has lots of support. Koji and..."

"Supporting Tetsuya shouldn't be just in the hands of the attendants, Ichigo," Byakuya snapped, stiffening, "We should be supporting him, not excluding him from our meals and time together."

"Hey, Michio said it was just until it seemed he was adjusting a little better. We just don't want him to be hurt by bonding too closely to us. You said you understood that."

_They were doing this on purpose?_

_Kami, I must have looked pathetic to them._

_I have to get out of here...except that I have to have reiatsu infusions to keep the baby's reiatsu and mine stable._

"I do understand," Byakuya went on, interrupting Tetsuya's tormented thoughts, "Just because I understand doesn't mean that it doesn't affect me."

"I know. It affects me too. Byakuya, I've been wondering about that."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean the way that we've been feeling. We've both said it. It doesn't feel right..."

Tetsuya ducked back into his room as a messenger appeared.

"Pardon me, sirs," the man said, bowing, "Jaegerjaques Grimmjow has invited the two of you, as well as Kuchiki Tetsuya, to a social dinner tonight at his new club to celebrate its grand opening."

"Grimmjow's club is finally open?" Ichigo asked, grinning.

"Yes sir," the messenger replied, "As it is a very exclusive club, a number of representatives of other clans will be there, so the council felt it would be good for you to mingle."

"I don't know," Byakuya said uncertainly.

"Come on, it sounds like fun," Ichigo encouraged him, "You know it won't be one of those stuffy events that we keep having to go to."

"That isn't my concern. A club is not a proper place for Tetsuya to be while with child."

"He's just barely with child, and Grimmjow told me there's no smoking in the building. The air will be fine. It'll be better than him staying in his room, avoiding everyone. And you know Tetsuya. Once he is formally introduced, the representatives from the other clans are going to be charmed to death by him. Most of them have never met him in person. This is a chance for Tetsuya to win some friends in high places, and my dad's been drilling into me how important that is."

"M-maybe, but..."

"No more buts. We should go...with Tetsuya. Come on. At least I'll have a partner for the fast dances that way."

Byakuya sighed and nodded at the messenger.

"Please inform Jaegerjaques Grimmjow to expect the three of us in attendance tonight."

"Yes sir," the man said, bowing, then flash stepping away.

Byakuya took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"I hope this is the right thing," he mused.

"It is," Ichigo assured him, "It's going to be fine. It will. We should go and tell Tetsuya. C'mon."

Still wearing a troubled look, Byakuya followed Ichigo to Tetsuya's room, where they found Tetsuya sitting on his bed and devouring his breakfast hungrily.

"You look a lot better than last night," Ichigo chuckled.

"I do feel much better now," Tetsuya said between large bites of food and swallows of tea, "I think the emotional pendulum swung back the other way."

"It is good to see that," Byakuya agreed, "Tetsuya, we have just had a messenger inviting us to dinner at Jaegerjaques Grimmjow's new club."

"Thats sounds like fun," Tetsuya answered, smiling, "I hope you and Ichigo-sama have a wonderful time."

"No," Ichigo laughed, "not just us. You were invited to come also."

"Me?" Tetsuya asked, blinking in confusion, "Why me?"

"Who cares why," Ichigo said, shaking his head, "Grimmjow's place is the most anticipated business opening since the end of the quincy war. You'd have to be crazy not to want to go. You have to come with us. There's going to be dancing, and Byakuya doesn't feel comfortable shaking his ass in front of his stuffy noble peers."

"Excuse me," Byakuya said, looking offended, "I think maybe you had better rephrase that or..."

"Sorry," Ichigo giggled, "I was kidding."

"Well, you've managed to put a smile on Tetsuya's face, so I will let it pass this time."

"Fine, so we're going?"

"We are going," Byakuya agreed, glancing at Tetsuya, who blanched suddenly and headed for the bathroom, "Ah, he thinks like I do, then."

"That's not nice," Ichigo said, smirking as Koji ran into the room and followed Tetsuya into the bathroom.


	10. Blue Haze

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Byakuya, Ichigo and Tetsuya visit Grimmjow's new dance club.

Koji gazed at Tetsuya's reflection in the mirror and he smiled at the presence of the small bump on Tetsuya's slim abdomen, watching as Tetsuya smiled contentedly and rubbed the area lightly with his fingertips.

"You look happy again, Tetsuya-san," Koji commented, turning to look through the clothing he had selected from the closet, "It's good to see you smile. I was worried about you before."

"I am still not feeling terribly well," Tetsuya admitted, "but I suppose I am adjusting to the changes in my body."

He sighed softly, caressing the little baby bump affectionately.

"I was sure I would never feel this way again, that I would never again have a child. I wasn't sure that I could trust myself, that I could bear opening my heart that way. But this feels…like a blessing. I can already feel the baby's reiatsu as it begins to mature. I can feel that the child's mind isn't fully sentient, but that it is already aware of some things. Things like warmth and my presence. These things are comforting to both of us."

"That's so beautiful, Tetsuya-san," Koji said, holding up two lovely, formal kimonos, one sky blue with soft pink petals falling from shoulder to waist, and a second that was deep navy with an embroidered sakura tree on the back and the Kuchiki family crest on the left breast, "Which one, do you think? Or, do you want something else?"

"He'll have something else," Ichigo laughed, entering through the inner bedroom door and smiling at the little blush his arrival brought to Tetsuya's soft cheeks, "I think this is better for a nightclub opening, don't you?"

Koji sucked in a surprised breath at the sight of the skin tight jeans, pale, form fitting t-shirt and the black leather vest he held. Tetsuya stared numbly at the clothing and started to speak, only to be stopped in his tracks.

"Don't answer yet. Just…try it on, okay?"

"But, I never…I have n-never…"

"I know this isn't what you're used to wearing, but, come on! Tetsuya, you're not one of those old farts whose gonna be there. You're young, like me. You should dress like it."

"W-well, I suppose if it was in the living world, but…" Tetsuya managed breathlessly.

Ichigo rolled his eyes knowingly.

"Hey, lots of shinigamis dress like this to go out dancing. You're young. You're going dancing. And you're gonna wear this."

"M-maybe we should just give it a try," Koji suggested, shocking Tetsuya all over again, "You were saying that you were interested in maybe seeing someone again, so you should go in something that your peers might wear."

"What he said!" Ichigo laughed, "C'mon, Tetsuya. Just try them on."

"Ah, okay," Tetsuya answered uncertainly.

He glanced at Ichigo, biting at his lip gently, noting that his cousin's husband was still in the dressing area. Ichigo blinked in confusion.

"Something wrong?" he asked.

"Um, well," Tetsuya stammered, "It isn't really proper for you to see me without my clothes. I know it was necessary before, but…"

"Oh!" Ichigo said, flushing, "Sorry, Tetsuya. I keep forgetting that this isn't Karakura Town. You're pretty shy."

"Do you undress in front of your friends in Karakura Town?" Tetsuya asked.

Ichigo frowned.

"I did before I got together with Byakuya. But, I guess you're right. Sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable."

"I'm fine," Tetsuya assured him, "I only don't want to start a scandal."

"I hardly think that me seeing you naked is gonna start a scandal," Ichigo laughed, "but, I'll go. Call me in when you're ready?"

"Okay," Tetsuya agreed in a flustered tone.

He watched as Ichigo left, then turned his attention to Koji. His attendant removed his yukata and the two young men exchanged gentle smiles at the sight of his bared baby bump.

"It's so cute, Tetsuya-san!" Koji giggled.

He gave Tetsuya a more tentative look.

"C-can I touch it? Would that be wrong?" he asked softly.

"It isn't wrong," Tetsuya assured him, "Go ahead."

Tetsuya's breath caught for a moment as Koji bowed slightly and very carefully caressed the little rounded area.

"Oh!" Koji exclaimed softly, "Oh, Tetsuya-san! I can feel the baby's reiatsu too! Such good, strong, healthy reiatsu."

"Well, think of who his father's are," Tetsuya replied, his smile fading slightly.

"You're strong too," Koji insisted, giving his baby bump another soft caress before beginning to dress Tetsuya.

"I'm amazed these pants fit!" Tetsuya said, staring into the mirror, "It's only because they're a little loose at the belly."

"They look wonderful on you," Koji said sincerely, "Tetsuya-san is…is…sexy!"

"Koji!" gasped Tetsuya, flushing brightly.

"Well, you are," Koji snickered playfully, "Tetsuya-san, you are going to meet the man of your dreams tonight."

Tetsuya sighed, watching as Koji continued to dress him.

"I don't know," he confessed softly.

"Well, I do," Koji said firmly, "Mister Right is out there, and when he sees you dressed like this, he is going to be singing to you, begging you to dance and never letting you go."

"Don't tease me, Koji," Tetsuya said, his eyes clouding.

"I wasn't teasing," Koji said, setting the vest in place and stepping back, "You are beautiful, Tetsuya-san. Someone is going to see that and he is going to sweep you off your feet!"

"It's been a hundred years and no one has done so. Do you really think it's going to happen, just because of some clothes?" Tetsuya asked somberly.

"It's not the clothes," Koji said, more seriously, picking up a brush and running it through the wavy lengths of Tetsuya's satin black hair, "It's you. You are different today than you have ever been before. You have every chance of finding the man you are looking for."

Tetsuya gazed into Koji's friendly eyes, then let out a soft breath.

"You are right," he answered determinedly, "There is no reason why it would be impossible that someone I meet tonight would love me."

"I'm glad you agree," Koji said approvingly, "Now, we should call Ichigo-sama back in."

Tetsuya waited, looking quietly into the mirror as Koji stepped out and motioned for Ichigo to return.

_But, is this really me?_

"Hey, you look great!" Ichigo said happily, "Tetsuya, that outfit is perfect! I can't wait to see Byakuya's face when he sees you. He's gonna pass out!"

"Oh," Tetsuya mused, looking down at himself, "I don't really know how he will react. Ichigo-sama, he may not approve."

"Look, trust me, will you?" Ichigo said, taking his hands, "This is the right thing. I know it is. Byakuya may be a little disapproving, but when he sees how amazing you look, he's not going to get past how beautiful you are. Don't worry. If he reacts badly, I'll talk to him. Just, let's go and have fun."

The two young men took their leave of Koji and walked out to the courtyard, where Tetsuya's stallion awaited them. He looked around for Byakuya, then back at Ichigo.

"Ah, Byakuya got called away," Ichigo explained, "He said he'd meet us there."

"Oh," Tetsuya said uncertainly, "Are you…?"

"Come on," Ichigo chuckled, offering Tetsuya a hand, then mounting behind him.

Tetsuya's blush returned as Ichigo's arms curled around his waist.

"You hold on with your legs," Tetsuya informed him.

"Yeah, I'm not so good about that. I kinda forget and almost fall off sometimes. I think I'll hang on to you."

"V-very well," Tetsuya said, ignoring the amused look in his stallion's blue eye, "Let's go, Arashi."

The sun was setting as the two rode out the front gates of the manor and headed across to the west end of the town. Ichigo chatted easily with him, drawing Tetsuya out and giving him a warm, comfortable feeling inside that helped to relax him as they approached their destination.

"Now, Grimmjow is an Arrancar," Ichigo began.

"I know that," Tetsuya interjected.

"I wasn't done yet," Ichigo laughed, "I knew you knew about him being an Arrancar. I just meant to warn you that he doesn't have very good manners."

"I wasn't aware that hollows in general were particularly mannerly," Tetsuya mused, earning a soft snicker from Ichigo.

"You've got that right. Only a few are what I would call friendly. Grimmjow can be a jackass sometimes, but he's really pretty friendly."

"Isn't he the Arrancar who tore out the quincy, Askin Nak Le Var's, heart?" Tetsuya asked.

"Yeah," Ichigo said, looking impressed, "How'd you hear about that?"

"It is my job as head of house security to be well informed about such things," Tetsuya said, smirking, "I am well connected."

"You talked to Kisuke, didn't you?" Ichigo surmised.

Tetsuya nodded.

"We were relaxing together whilst Byakuya-sama was visiting you," he explained.

"Oh," Ichigo said, arching an eyebrow, "You and Kisuke plotting together, eh?"

"We weren't plotting," Tetsuya laughed, "He was telling me stories about what happened up there, while I was forced to stay here, defending the clan."

"That must have been an awful job," Ichigo said, his expression clouding, "Thousands of shinigamis were killed."

"It was difficult," Tetsuya admitted, "We managed to keep losses of women and children very low, but the bulk of the fighters who stood with me protecting the safety barrier were cut down in horrific battles."

Ichigo shook his head and sighed unhappily.

"There's so much hatred between the quincies and the shinigamis," he commented sadly.

"There is," Tetsuya agreed, "But with the death of their king, we have been able to begin to mend things. I think all of us know that we do not want another blood war. We just have to see if we are wise enough to avoid one."

The two young men halted their conversation as they arrived at the front of the Blue Haze dance club. Ichigo slid down off of Arashi's back and helped Tetsuya down, then took his hand and led him past a line of people waiting and to the guard at the door.

"Hey Yammy," Ichigo greeted the big hollow, "We're on the guest list."

"Of course you are," Yammy acknowledged, glancing at Tetsuya.

"This is Tetsuya," Ichigo said, indicating his comely companion, "Tetsuya, this is Yammy."

"P-pleased to meet you," Tetsuya said breathlessly, accepting the hollows extended hand.

"Go on in," Yammy said, stepping aside, "Have fun."

Ichigo led a wide-eyed Tetsuya past and into the darkened and misted club.

"I thought that Byakuya-sama and Zaraki taichou killed him," Tetsuya pondered.

Ichigo shrugged.

"He's a tough guy. And the powerful hollows still surviving know that it's better to get along."

"I suppose," Tetsuya agreed, looking back over his shoulder at the towering hollow.

"Well, look what the cat dragged in," Grimmjow sneered jokingly, stepping forward to greet the two.

Ichigo paused to admire the hollow's leather pants, skin tight black shirt and neon blue vest and matching blue hair. Grimmjow caught sight of Tetsuya and gave him a toothy smile.

"Helllllo," he drawled, moving closer and laying a hand on Tetsuya's shoulder, "Who is this little beauty? I thought you were getting married to that shinigami taichou."

"I am," Ichigo laughed, "This is Tetsuya, Byakuya's cousin. I'm escorting him because he's bearing the Kuchiki heir."

"Huh?" Grimmjow mused, blinking, "A guy carrying?"

He looked more closely at Tetsuya's blushing face and Tetsuya's eyes darted away.

"Hmm," Grimmjow went on, his lips curling into a roguish smile, "You're welcome to have my baby, after you're done with theirs."

"Grimmjow!" Ichigo snapped, "Behave. Tetsuya's a nice person, so be a gentleman."

"I woulda offered to marry him too!" Grimmjow laughed, "Hey, cutie, sorry for flustering you. How about a dance?"

"Ah," Tetsuya said uncertainly, his breath catching as Grimmjow slipped and arm around him and swept him onto the dance floor, "I…um…"

His breath was taken away again immediately as Grimmjow led him into a flurry of graceful steps and sweeping turns. The music pounded all around and soft lights flickered, lighting the blue mist that floated all around the dance floor. Tetsuya's sapphire eyes locked on the charming hollow's ice blue ones, reading the aggressive energy of the powerful Arrancar. Grimmjow pulled him closer, letting a hand slide down his side, to rest on his hip, with fingers trailing slightly onto his bottom.

"Move your hips more," Grimmjow purred warmly in his ear, renewing Tetsuya's blush, "A sexy thing like you should let go a little more."

"I am not allowed to…"

"Shh," the hollow hissed, the sound echoing strangely in Tetsuya's ears, "c'mon, swing those hips, beautiful. You came here to dance, right?"

The blue-haired hollow made a deep, throaty sound of approval as Tetsuya moved with him, easily following and turning heads as other dancers began to notice them. Caught up in the dance, Tetsuya didn't notice the moment Byakuya entered the club, flanked by a number of elders, including Orochi. Orochi's predatory eyes burned at the sight of the two, but he held back saying anything, only watching as Byakuya's eyes registered his casually dressed cousin, dancing provocatively with the blue-haired Arrancar, then beginning to smolder with anger and disapproval.

"Hey, Byakuya," Ichigo greeted him, "That was fast. Tetsuya and I just…"

He paused, reading the deadly expression on his lover's face and moving quickly to intervene. Ichigo took Byakuya's arm and turned him into an alcove.

"What in kami's name is my cousin doing, dressed like that and draped all over that hollow!" Byakuya demanded.

"Take it easy," Ichigo soothed him, "I gave Tetsuya the clothing. It's perfectly acceptable for guys our age in a dance club."

"Tetsuya is not just anyone," Byakuya said heatedly, "He is a close family member, Ichigo. And he is a mixed blood who has worked very hard to gain a respectful place in the family. He knows better than this!"

"Better than what?" Ichigo challenged him, his golden brown eyes flashing, "Better than letting down and enjoying himself a little? Better than acting his age? Byakuya, maybe he'd have an easier time finding someone special if you'd stop getting in the way."

"It is not getting in the way to express concern over Tetsuya stepping out of bounds and getting himself into trouble with the elders!"

"Well then, I'd say that he was just taking after you. Isn't that right?" Ichigo said pointedly, "Byakuya, Tetsuya is a beautiful young guy and he's going to get attention. You've said that it's impossible for us to have a romantic relationship with him. You need to step back and let go."

Byakuya's lips stiffened and his eyes grew disdainful.

"Letting go does not mean to let him forget all sense of propriety!" he snapped, surging out of the corner and catching his surprised cousin by the arm as Grimmjow led him by.

Tetsuya froze, staring breathlessly as his enraged cousin glared at Grimmjow, who smirked knowingly and offered the furious noble a hand.

"Welcome to you and your family, Kuchiki taichou," the hollow greeted him, "I was just making acquaintance with your lovely cousin."

He nodded at the white-faced Tetsuya.

"Thank you for the dance, Tetsuya. Enjoy your visit."

Byakuya bristled at the casual use of his cousin's name, but remained silent as he led Tetsuya to the alcove where Ichigo waited and guided his pale cousin to a chair. Ichigo shot Byakuya a look of warning and received a stubborn glare in reply.

"Would you mind telling me what you were thinking?" Byakuya asked Tetsuya sternly, "Dressing like that and dancing that way with that hollow?"

Tetsuya looked back at him like a deer caught in bright, oncoming headlights, frozen and unable to speak.

"It wasn't his fault," Ichigo said, keeping his voice forcefully calm, "I gave him the outfit. I thought that it would help him blend in with people his age, and would make him comfortable for dancing. And Grimmjow is kinda like that with everyone."

"Tetsuya can speak for himself," Byakuya said shortly.

"Not with you browbeating him like that," Ichigo argued, "Come on, Byakuya. Give him a break."

"I am sorry, Byakuya-sama," Tetsuya said contritely, finding his voice, "I knew it wasn't right. I just…wanted for a moment to not feel like an outsider. I just wanted to fit in."

Byakuya gazed at him sternly for a moment, then let out a flustered sigh. Ichigo slipped a hand into his and squeezed it gently.

"I am sorry, Tetsuya," Byakuya apologized more quietly, "I suppose your behavior was understandable. I was only thinking of how it would be viewed by the elders and did not realize I was holding you back from socializing normally. But I would suggest that you confine yourself to less erotic dances and, for kami's sake, try to be selective with your partners! I thought a few of them would faint when they saw you with that hollow."

"Grimmjow's the owner of the club," Ichigo argued more gently, "He was being mostly very respectful."

"Mostly," Byakuya repeated with an edge of sarcasm.

"What say we get some drinks?" Ichigo chuckled, regaining his good nature as the tension between the three men eased.

He looked up as a waiter stopped at their table.

"Your best sake," Ichigo said, smiling, "and something bubbly and non-alcoholic for Tetsuya."

Ichigo turned his attention back to Byakuya and Tetsuya as Orochi watched through enraged eyes from across the room. His dark eyes ran around the environs and found a box set up near the front of the room. He moved closer and read the front.

_Hotspot Karaoke! Enter the name of a guest and a song that person knows and we'll make'em sing it. The best rendition will receive a free party at the club!_

Orochi glanced back at Tetsuya, where he sat quietly at Byakuya's side, watching the dancers on the floor. His lips curved into a cunning smile and he picked up a piece of paper. He wrote down Tetsuya's name, then wrote down the name of the song. "Why?"


	11. Siren

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Singing a song at Grimmjow's club has an odd effect on Tetsuya.

Grimmjow watched from a short distance away as the music shifted to a mid-tempo number and Byakuya coaxed Tetsuya onto the dance floor. Ichigo remained behind, at their table, watching the two embrace and move gracefully around the dance floor, smiling contentedly. He nodded in acknowledgment as Grimmjow slid into the seat next to him.

"So, what's the story with you three?" he asked, watching Byakuya and Tetsuya closely, "Are you married to the clan leader or not? And what's with your babymama? Are you a trio or what?"

"Like any of that is your business," Ichigo chuckled, "Byakuya and me? It's kinda complicated. The Kuchiki elders and the Shiba elders wouldn't have let us get married, because they…"

"They want you to make babies. Got that part," Grimmjow asserted.

"Well, we couldn't do that without Tetsuya. He's…kinda special."

"A she-male?" Grimmjow asked, "No offense, just curious."

"He's a guy," Ichigo explained, "but he's able to have babies."

"I get that part, but how?" Grimmjow asked, coloring slightly at the annoyed look Ichigo gave him.

"How does he have babies if he doesn't have, you know, lady parts?"

"He's a soul. And he's a special kind of soul that, when he's with someone, his body grows a spirit chamber. The baby stays in reiatsu form and when it's matured, his abdomen will open and the reiatsu will emerge."

"Damn," Grimmjow mused, shaking his head, "But, he's a sweet little thing, isn't he? Good moves too."

"Don't get any ideas," Ichigo said reprovingly, "Tetsuya has enough trouble with the prissy elders as it is. If you start causing trouble, they'll take it out on him."

"Poor kid," Grimmjow said sympathetically, "Too bad. I like him."

He glanced at Byakuya and Tetsuya, then back at Ichigo.

"I think you and your husband like him too."

"What?"

"You're pretty protective. Byakuya looked like he wanted to kill me just by looking at me. And you, well, you're cooler about it. I can't exactly tell if you know what you're doing or not. But, you both like him."

"Eh, shut up," Ichigo said in a flustered tone, "You wanna stop nagging at me and dance?"

"Sure," Grimmjow chuckled, "We can get Byakuya more jealous. I'm a cat. I've got nine lives, right?"

"I think you used up a few in the war," Ichigo laughed, taking Grimmjow's hand.

"I think we all did," Grimmjow agreed, joining Ichigo for the dance.

"I didn't know you knew any of these slower dances," Ichigo said appreciatively.

"I dance to everything," Grimmjow said, running his fingers through the tumbled lengths of blue hair and letting his hips sway provocatively, "Dancing beats fighting and killing any day."

"I have to agree with that."

The two continued dancing until the song ended and a faster paced one began. Grimmjow grabbed a new partner and danced away, while Ichigo caught Tetsuya around the waist as he and Byakuya headed off the dance floor.

"C'mon, dance with me now," Ichigo said, pulling Tetsuya back onto the dance floor.

Tetsuya glanced at his parting cousin, but Ichigo curved a palm around his cheek and smiled at Tetsuya.

"Look right here. Just go with it."

Tetsuya nodded.

The music and lights seemed to explode all at once, and Ichigo's feet and hips moved at a dizzying pace. Tetsuya had the strange feeling of being simply an extension of his friend as he moved readily with Ichigo in a blaze of rhythmic turns, hips sways, then a dizzying spin that ended with him laid back and looking up into Ichigo's affectionate eyes. Ichigo pulled him close and pressed against him as their feet stepped precisely, carrying them around the dance floor as the beat quickened even more. Tetsuya was nearly breathless by the time the tempo slowed and the song ended. He sighed gratefully as a slower tune began. Ichigo smiled and kissed him on the cheek.

"I'm gonna dance with Byakuya now, if that's okay," Ichigo panted.

"I need something to drink anyway," Tetsuya laughed softly, "But that was fun, Ichigo. Thank you."

"It's nothing," Ichigo said off-handedly, "You want me to get that drink for you?"

"No, I can manage. My cousin is probably being bored to death by the elders who are just waiting until they've stayed for a proper amount of time, so they can go."

"Can't have that!" Ichigo replied, turning back to where Byakuya sat at their table.

Tetsuya headed for the bar, working his way slowly through the crowd. He caught his breath in surprise as a drink was deposited in his hand and he found himself standing in front of Orochi.

"I assume that sparkling cider is appropriate?" Orochi asked, giving him a wicked little smirk, "or would you like something warmer to drink, Tetsuya?"

Tetsuya looked down suspiciously at the glass his cousin had given him. Orochi gave him an annoyed look.

"You don't think I'd be stupid enough to try to poison you or abduct you in front of everyone?" he said disapprovingly, "The drink is fine."

"What do you want?" Tetsuya asked, glancing back towards Byakuya and Ichigo, but finding that the two were on the dance floor and focused on each other.

"Would you care to dance?"

"No."

Orochi smiled disarmingly.

"Why not? You're safe here. Are you afraid that Byakuya would figure out that there is still something going on between us?"

"There is nothing between us," Tetsuya said shortly, dumping the drink his cousin has given him into a nearby trash bin, then setting the glass down onto an empty table.

He turned and started to walk away, only to feel Orochi's arm wrap around his waist from behind and to feel the man's hot breath burn his earlobe.

"I think the kisses we exchanged behind Byakuya's back say something different," Orochi hissed softly, "You'd be kissing me now, if it weren't for all of the people here. Go ahead and lie to yourself if you want to, but we both know the truth."

Tetsuya tore free of him and met his dark gaze with blazing eyes.

"You wouldn't know the truth if it was one of your foul snakes and it bit you!" he snapped.

"This guy giving you some trouble, Tetsuya?" Grimmjow asked, stepping in suddenly.

"Well," Orochi sneered, his lips curling, "if it isn't Jaegerjaques Grimmjow, the pride of the heartless hollows. Watch out, Tetsuya. He'll tear yours out next."

Grimmjow shook his head and watched warily as Orochi walked away.

"What an asshole!" he commented.

He noticed Tetsuya watching him and smiled more amiably.

"You all right?" he asked.

"Mmhmm," Tetsuya assured him, "I am used to Orochi's poor behavior. But, thank you for stepping in."

"Anytime," Grimmjow chuckled, "Hey, I have to run an activity now, but will you save me a dance?"

"Erm, sure," Tetsuya answered, blushing at the invitation.

He watched for a moment as Grimmjow threaded his way through the dancers, to the front of the room, then he returned to the table and waited quietly until the song playing ended and Byakuya and Ichigo walked back to the table, holding hands.

"You staying out of trouble?" Ichigo asked.

"I am attempting to," Tetsuya joked.

Ichigo nodded to a waiter who approached them.

"Give us another round."

"I saw Orochi near you," Byakuya said to Tetsuya, "What did he want?"

"Just to make me feel inferior," Tetsuya sighed.

"I hope you told him to take a hike," Ichigo said, frowning.

"Grimmjow was kind enough to step in and run him off," Tetsuya informed them.

"I see," Byakuya said, carefully holding back saying more.

The three looked up as Grimmjow took up a position in front of the band.

"Hey, I hope all of you are having fun out here tonight," Grimmjow greeted them, "And now, I think it's time we get to what a lot of you have really been waiting for."

"Oh, right," Ichigo said, grinning, "Renji and Hisagi helped Grimmjow come up with this idea. This should be great."

"I have here, a list of five requests chosen from the box all of you saw when you came in. We chose five lucky acts who will have the chance to compete for a killer private party, here at Blue Haze. So, whaddya say we start with Ayesegawa Yumichika singing "I'm Too Sexy!"

Whistles and cheers filled the room as a handsomely dressed and smiling Yumichika crossed the dance floor and accepted the microphone.

"Oh my god," Ichigo laughed as the number began, "this is great! Don't you think?"

"I think that was a fitting match of singer and song," Byakuya said, looking genuinely amused.

"He sings beautifully," Tetsuya observed.

Their conversation dropped off as Ichigo laughed and applauded while Byakuya and Tetsuya enjoyed the display more quietly. Wild applause erupted as Yumi's song ended and Grimmjow called out the next performer.

"That was a really great idea," Ichigo said appreciatively, "They're picking some awesome song. Personally, I didn't know the Gotei had that kinda talent."

"They are very good," Tetsuya agreed.

"Grimmjow said that if people like it, he may do this once a week. I'd come and see that."

"That could be enjoyable," Byakuya answered, "But right now, we should make the rounds of the visiting elders."

"Eh, right," Ichigo sighed, "Just when I'm having fun, it's time for a reality check."

"It isn't so bad, talking to them," Tetsuya observed, "They have to be polite in public."

"So do we," Byakuya added, giving Ichigo a warning glance.

"Don't worry, I won't offend anyone," Ichigo promised.

He waited until Byakuya had risen and started towards several of the elders to touch Tetsuya's arm and whisper his next comment into the younger Kuchiki's ear.

"At least, I'll try not to offend them."

"Some of us offend them just by existing," Tetsuya whispered back, earning a snicker and a quick wink of agreement from Ichigo.

The three men moved in to mingle with the mix of clan representatives in attendance, pausing occasionally to watch bits of the entertainment. They worked their way around the room, spending a few minutes with each important guest. Once finished, they headed back to their table.

"So, how did you think that went?" Ichigo asked Byakuya.

"Quite well, I think," Byakuya said thoughtfully, "I think you and Tetsuya made a good impression on the other clans' leaders. A few will, no doubt, still dislike the rogue element about you, but the overall effect of the night, I would say, is positive."

"Well, that's good," Ichigo laughed, "But all that talking made me thirsty. Where's our waiter?"

"I see him over there," Tetsuya said, pointing, "Why don't you two go ahead to the table. I will give him our order. Same as before, right?"

Byakuya nodded.

"Uh-huh," Ichigo confirmed.

Tetsuya started towards the waiter as Byakuya and Ichigo sat down at their table, exchanging a few kisses and holding hands. He had nearly reached the waiter when the fourth karaoke act ended and Grimmjow returned to the front of the room.

"Okay, folks, another hand for Toshiro and Momo and their rendition of "Unforgettable!"

Applause erupted around the room and took several moments to die down.

"But that's not all we have," Grimmjow went on, "Our final chosen performer is a blossoming talent from the Kuchiki family."

Tetsuya realized suddenly that Orochi was watching him and smiling in a chilling way.

_Oh no…_

"I had the pleasure of meeting this young man tonight, and I'll tell you, he's something else. Here to sing Why is Kuchiki Tetsuya!"

Tetsuya froze, staring in dismay as the spotlight found him and Grimmjow extended a hand towards him.

"Come on up here, Tetsuya. I know you're a little shy, but you know the song, right?"

Tetsuya reached the Arrancar host and nodded briefly in answer.

"Then, belt it," Grimmjow invited him, handing him the microphone.

Fresh puffs of deep blue mist swirled in front of Tetsuya and the lights dimmed, giving the room an ethereal look. The music began, a dark, pulsating rhythm that took Tetsuya back in time as he looked helplessly into Orochi's predatory eyes and began to sing.

_He laid, naked and collapsed on Orochi's bed, his mind still hazy from the mix of fear, pain and guilt that tainted the heavy, sated feeling in his slender body. He felt wetness on his bruised flesh, cooled by a breeze that came in through the window. The bed moved as Orochi rose and left him to shower and change. Tetsuya's head turned and he looked quietly out into the night sky, enjoying the very rare view of the moon and stars, and thinking how different it would be to see them from outside the walls of the noble's prison._

_He heard the shower start in the bathroom and looked back in that direction, knowing to wait several minutes, but then, that he was expected to enter the shower, to kneel in front of his tormentor and to 'show his appreciation' for the food and attention he had been given by providing Orochi with pleasure._

_Tetsuya's eye fell on a device that sat on the nightstand, and his hand reached over, the slim fingers touching the buttons on the device lightly. To his surprise, one of the buttons activated and the device emitted sounds wholly unfamiliar to him that were mingled with a voice that was singing. Tetsuya stared at the device, completely spellbound by the beauty of what he was hearing. He jumped back in terror as the bathroom door opened suddenly, and Orochi emerged, wrapped in a towel and turning a dark eye on Tetsuya._

_"I am s-sorry for touching it," Tetsuya apologized at once, "But, what is that, Orochi-sama?"_

_Orochi's eyes blinked in astonishment, then registered comprehension._

_"You have heard people singing here, ne?" Orochi asked him._

_"Yes, but…those sounds. What are they? Who is making them?"_

_"This," Orochi explained, sitting down on the bed, "is music. People sing. That, you've heard. But, there are something called instruments that they use to make sounds to go along with the voices. There are instruments people blow into to make some sounds, instruments that have strings that are plucked and some that are tapped or beat on. All of those things together make music. And music is something we can dance to."_

_Orochi motioned for Tetsuya to stand._

_"Get up," he said, rising off the bed._

_Knowing better than to disobey, or even to hesitate, Tetsuya stood._

_"You stand close together, like this," Orochi instructed him, standing and letting his towel fall to the floor as he pressed up against Tetsuya, "And when I move, you move with me."_

_"You mean, like when we are having sex?" Tetsuya asked curiously._

_"Yes, like that. Move with me."_

_He shivered at the close presence of his wicked cousin, of the way their bodies were so close and touching, the way Orochi moved and turned in time with the lovely sounds. It should have been beautiful, but shivers went through Tetsuya's body at the way their dancing quickly brought the aggressive, wanton shine back to Orochi's black eyes. All too soon, Orochi turned him and laid him down on the bed, spreading his thighs and joining their bodies for a more frightening dance._

XXXXXXXXXX

Why

I wonder why, why there is rain

Why your love brings nothing but pain

There are stars all around, the moon filled with dreams

But our love is a nightmare, filled with our screams.

Hold on tightly, we're both falling down

In the tears that we cry, we start to drown

Tell me why, why we're so torn

Why, like leaves, we're scattered and thrown

There are lovers all around, they turn and they dance

They hurt each other and call it romance

Hold on tightly, we're both falling down

In the tears that we cry, we start to drown

Why

Why

Please tell me why you burn me inside

Why

Why

Please tell me why you turned out the light (inside me)

Caught in your arms, I'm shaking

Caught in this dance, we're breaking

Down

Can you tell me why, why my heart is bleeding

What is this fear we're feeding (now)

Our bodies are wound, why can't you see

What your love is doing to me

Hold on tightly, we're both falling down

In the tears that we cry, we start to drown

Why

Why

Please tell me why you burn me inside

Why

Why

Please tell me why you turned out the light (inside me)

Caught in your arms, I'm shaking

Caught in this dance, we're breaking

Down

Hold on tightly, we're both falling down

In the tears that we cry, we start to drown

Why

Why

Please tell me why you burn me inside

Why

Why

Please tell me why you turned out the light (inside me)

Caught in your arms, I'm shaking

Caught in this dance, we're breaking

Down

We've broken…down

XXXXXXXXXX

The last haunting notes brought Tetsuya back, and he found himself standing in front of a room gone eerily silent. He could see people on their feet, hands clapping and their mouths smiling and shouting. In the distance, Orochi stood silently, his arms crossed and his dark eyes gleaming. At their table, Ichigo was on his feet, anger in his flashing eyes and Byakuya's hand was wrapped firmly around Ichigo's arm, restraining him.

"Wow!" Grimmjow said, stepping in.

He paused as the roar of approval in the room continued.

"Yeah," Grimmjow said, shaking his head, "Me too."

The applause continued for several more long moments before it faded and Grimmjow could be heard again.

"Whoa, quite a night, huh? I had no idea we had so much talent here in the Seireitei. Man, I should have gone into the music business, right?"

Grimmjow smiled and accepted a slip of paper from a messenger.

"Okay, our amazing judges have scored our five outstanding acts and they have chosen the one that really took them by the jugular. That one, and the one who is getting a free Blue Haze party is…Kuchiki Tetsuya with his performance of Why!"

Tetsuya felt the ground shift oddly under his feet and the sound of the crowd became muffled and strangely distant. He descended into darkness and silence that billowed around him for how long he wasn't sure.

When he opened his eyes again, he found himself dressed in a soft, comfortable yukata and tucked into bed. Koji stepped into the room, sensing he had awakened. He sat down on the edge of the bed and washed Tetsuya's flushed face with a cool, damp washcloth.

"Are you feeling better now?" his attendant asked.

"Oh, I am fine," Tetsuya said, forcing a smile, "I'm embarrassed that I must have fainted in front of everyone, but…"

"Byakuya-sama explained that you are with child and our healer confirmed you are all right. But, you've had enough excitement. Just rest now. Byakuya-sama will be in to see you in the morning."

Tetsuya nodded and rolled over to look out the garden doors at the rain that had started to fall.

"Thank you, Koji."

"Just call for me if you need anything."

Tetsuya waited until he was alone, until he sensed that Koji was back in his room and dozing off again. He slipped out of bed, leaving a waterform copy of himself in the bed, and he stepped out into the gardens, using his power to hide his passage. His thinly dressed body and bare feet didn't register the cold as he made his way through the darkness and to the edge of the estate, where he found Orochi also barely dressed and waiting for him.

"I wasn't sure you would come," Orochi said quietly, his dark eyes looking as stormy as the weather."

Tetsuya gazed back at him silently.

"Will you come to bed with me?" Orochi asked, extending a dripping hand.

Tetsuya paused, shivering as the cold began to reach him. Every instinct inside him warned him to run, but slowly, he extended a shaking hand and accepted Orochi's.


	12. Punishment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tetsuya is seduced by his wicked cousin and concludes he must hide this from Byakuya and Ichigo.

Peals of thunder sent a shiver down the length of Tetsuya's spine as he held onto Orochi's clasping hand, and the two approached the main house on Orochi's father's large estate. Orochi turned him towards the back of the building, leading him through a small courtyard and to what looked like a brick wall. But, a whispered command from Orochi made the wall slide back soundlessly, revealing a dimly lit passage. Orochi pulled on Tetsuya's hand, but Tetsuya's legs froze and he stared at the passage with frightened eyes.

"Where are you taking me?" he asked, his heart pounding.

"Somewhere private," Orochi answered, "Do you think you're the only one whose family wouldn't approve of this? My father hates people like you. You know that."

Tetsuya swallowed hard and nodded.

"Do you think he would hurt the baby?" Tetsuya asked.

Orochi gave him a look of warning.

"I have a brother who doesn't have an unnatural attachment to a mixed-blood. He might kill us both."

"But, killing an heir would bring a death sentence," Tetsuya reminded him.

"Only if the perpetrator was proven guilty," Orochi huffed softly, "And if you think that I am stealthy, you are in for a shock if he ever gets his hands on you. I don't intend for that to happen, so…"

"Maybe this wasn't such a good idea," Tetsuya said more softly, looking back in the direction they had come.

"Of course it isn't," Orochi agreed, "But, you and I are in the thrall of something neither of us can control. You do feel that, don't you? That's why you came here, Tetsuya."

"I don't know why I came here," Tetsuya said, his voice shaking, "but I think now that it was a mistake."

He turned back, then gasped in surprise as Orochi's arm wrapped around his waist.

"Stop it!" Tetsuya hissed, "Let me go! You know what Byakuya…"

"You won't tell anyone anything," Orochi purred into his ear, his warm breath making the flesh on Tetsuya's pale throat flush, "Tetsuya, understand that I don't want this either. But it is a compulsion that neither of us can resist. We will never have a fairy tale like Byakuya and Ichigo's. Ours is a darker tale, but it is our fate. I know you feel that."

Tetsuya's body recoiled and he tore himself away, backing towards the door. Orochi's hands dropped to his sides and he watched Tetsuya through slitted, glowing eyes.

"Try to walk away if you want to," Orochi hissed softly, "I won't stop you, Tetsuya. And maybe, if you try really hard, you can drag yourself back to your empty room and lie down in your bed, all alone. And while you open your clothing and dream of being worthy of someone's love, you'll know that, just down the hall, Byakuya is naked and lying with his legs spread wide, letting that feral Shiba brat touch him more deeply inside than he's ever been touched."

Tetsuya tried to speak, but found the words frozen in his throat. He wasn't sure how Orochi's arms had wrapped around him again, or how they had gotten so close to the bed. A hard gasp escaped him as he was brought down roughly onto his back and his thighs pushed wide. Orochi knelt between them, his deadly black eyes glaring down into his trembling cousin's as he slowly and methodically wrapped leather restraints around each of Tetsuya's slender wrists, then bound his feet at the ankle. Tetsuya shivered as the end of a strap slid over his scandalously aroused nether region and he heard Orochi laugh softly.

"You've missed me," the black-eyed man accused him, running his fingers down Tetsuya's flushed cheek.

"No," Tetsuya objected, "I haven't."

"Oh," Orochi said coldly, "is that why you're here? Because you don't miss me? What do you think brought you here? Why did you come here on your own, knowing what I would do to you?"

Tears filled Tetsuya's blue eyes and he tried to summon his power to break free, only to feel something rise up to cut him off from the connection with his power.

"There's no going back now, is there?" Orochi chuckled, "You could call for help and Byakuya would come. He might hurt me or throw me into the clan prison for touching you, but then…he would learn that you came here freely…that you wanted to have sex with me. Those are not lies, Tetsuya. Those are truths that are just hard for you to accept. It's all right. I have my own demons to contend with. Do you think it's easy watching you carry someone else's child? To know they laid you down and invaded those places that were mine before? I want them to die for touching you, but I can't kill them. This, then, is my only way to strike back at them. And it's the only way for you to feel loved."

"This isn't love!" Tetsuya snapped, turning his head aside as Orochi's mouth sought his, "This is an insult to love!"

Orochi gave him a baleful look.

"The gods of love abandoned us long ago," he said darkly, sliding a hand down Tetsuya's sweat-dampened torso, "They deserve our insults…our curses."

Tetsuya flinched and shuddered as he felt the application of a restraining ring to his awakened nether region. He closed his eyes against what was happening, but found there was no escape as Orochi's warm hands ran along his inner thighs, yielding touches that would have been pleasant coming from any other man, but from this man were frightening. He startled as something clamped down on his sensitive pink nipples and made a sound of pain as Orochi's tongue attacked the tormented nubs.

"It hurts!" Tetsuya gasped, "S-stop!"

"But, that's why you came here," Orochi intoned more softly, "You wanted to be with me despite the pain, because you are alone. Beauty, power, intelligence, you have it all, Tetsuya, but no one will look at you because of blood inside you that can't even be seen! Do you know that no one sees me either?"

"Wh-what do you mean?" Tetsuya objected, "You are a subfamily heir! You have great power and a place of respect in the clan. Why do you say this?"

A hard, stinging slap across his cheek tore an agonized cry from deeper in Tetsuya's chest and left him reeling as Orochi's hands took hold of his thighs with bruising pressure, forcing them wider.

"You know why," hissed Orochi, "It's because of this…this travesty of flesh that you are…this beautiful poison that you swirl around you."

"I don't know what you're talking about! I never did anything to you. I never wanted anything to do with you. You know that!"

"That is the most ironic truth, isn't it?" Orochi seethed softly, leaning down to indulge in his defenseless cousin's sweet flesh.

Too terrified to answer, Tetsuya held his breath, sweat drops leaking down his face as Orochi's fingers and mouth both teased and tormented his flushed, dripping member and vulnerable entrance, bringing him in slow steps to the very ends of his wits. But terror turned swiftly to self-hatred as Orochi abandoned his efforts and joined their bodies roughly. But although Tetsuya knew he should have continued to react with fear, his hips rose up and ground against Orochi's sensuously and his suddenly freed hands clenched at his cousin's strong shoulders.

"Open your eyes," Orochi ordered him, and Tetsuya obeyed with shocking speed.

Humiliation joined the weight of guilt he felt as his sounds of pain morphed into cries of wanton pleasure, with each of his dark cousin's movements exciting the unfulfilled hunger that had wracked at him for years. He tried not to see Orochi's eyes, but a sob escaped him at seeing they looked as lost and tormented as his own.

_He isn't enjoying this. He was telling me the truth. Orochi feels as trapped in this as I do. Only, it's worse than that for him. I decided of my own free will to come here. Once my resolve collapsed and I came to him, he could not stop himself. What is this hell we've made together? Is there no escape?_

Orochi's deep growls of pleasure invaded his thoughts as the two men writhed together. Tetsuya couldn't tell when his bonds suddenly shattered and the restraining ring disappeared. All he knew was a hard explosion of his own screams and a sensation so beautiful that it left him senseless in Orochi's embrace. He was grateful for the euphoria that swept everything away for several long, sweet moments in which Orochi's hands touched him more gently and all of the hatred went out of his voice.

"You are killing me, Tetsuya," Orochi managed in a weary voice.

"You knew what you were doing to me," Tetsuya responded in a shaky voice, "You lured me with that song you made me sing. You teased and tormented me with the loneliness you knew I felt, pushing me until I couldn't stop myself. I did take the steps to come here, but you paved the way…and you were waiting for me."

"I was," Orochi agreed, sliding his fingertips down the flushed cheek he had slapped, "It is a toxic bond we share, isn't it?"

Tetsuya started to answer, then stiffened as he sensed that someone was entering his room back at Kuchiki Manor.

"Someone is coming!" he breathed quickly as his waterform shattered and he disappeared, leaving Orochi gazing at the place he had been.

Orochi's hand trembled as he touched the still-warm place where Tetsuya had lain and he breathed his cousin's lovely scent in deeply.

"Damn you, Tetsuya," he whispered, closing his eyes, "You don't know what you have set in motion."

XXXXXXXXXX

Tetsuya's body re-entered the waterform he had left in his bed, and he opened his eyes and sat up as Koji entered the room, carrying a tea tray. He was careful to mask the presence of Orochi's reiatsu that lingered on his body as his attendant reached him and set down the tray. Tetsuya gazed at the tea tray quietly for a moment, then looked up at Koji curiously.

"Am I not to eat in here this morning?" he asked.

"Byakuya-sama thought that you might feel like eating in the gardens with Ichigo-sama and him. Rukia, Renji and Ichigo-sama's friends from the living world are joining us as well. Ichigo-sama invited them."

"Oh," Tetsuya said regretfully, "I don't know. I'm not really feeling up to anything this morning. I don't think it's because of passing out last night. I just…feel off, you know?"

"The healer is coming to see you in a half hour and breakfast isn't until after," Koji informed him, "Why don't you let me bathe you and give you a relaxing massage before?"

Tetsuya bit his lip gently.

_I can't let Koji that close to me. Not while Orochi's reiatsu and semen are still present on my flesh._

"I will just shower in here," Tetsuya said, sliding out on the other side of the bed, where his attendant couldn't reach him to help him up, "Why don't you see if you can find something that will fit without being too binding. I feel as though I've doubled in size in just the last few days. I know it's just my imagination, but…"

"Are you sure, Tetsuya-san?" Koji asked, his voice carrying a touch of worry, "You still look quite pale."

"I am fine," Tetsuya lied, "You've been completely spoiling me ever since this unexpected adventure began."

He patted the bump on his abdomen affectionately.

"I would like some time alone with this little one."

He closed his eyes for a moment and when they opened again, Koji felt his worry deepen at the sadness he found in them.

"This child will not be mine once he or she is born, but we have time together right now. I want to embrace that."

"Oh, Tetsuya-san, you know it isn't as though the baby will leave."

"But I will be expected to stand back and let Byakuya-sama and Ichigo-sama parent this child. That was the understanding from the start. I know you want to make me feel better, but we had best just accept the truth."

"You will always be an important person in your child's life," Koji said, taking Tetsuya's hands in his, "Byakuya-sama and Ichigo-sama are not going to let your child forget the one who is the reason he or she could be born."

Tetsuya took a steadying breath and forced a stiff smile.

"I'm sure you're right. Now please, I need to be alone with my thoughts for awhile. I promise you, I'm fine. I just need…quiet."

"Of course, Tetsuya-san," Koji said kindly, "I will return when you are done showering."

Tetsuya nodded and headed towards the shower, leaving Koji looking after him. The attendant turned back and began to make the bed, but paused as his senses picked up a trace of odd reiatsu. He frowned and tried to hone in on the source, but found that it dissipated before it could make a familiar impression.

"That's odd," he whispered, frowning.

He started to turn back the covers, but was stopped as Byakuya stepped into the room with Ichigo at his side. Byakuya looked around the room questioningly.

"Where is Tetsuya?" he asked, a slight tension in his voice, "Has the healer been in to examine him this morning?"

"Tetsuya-san is showering," Koji explained, "Michio said that he will arrive shortly to examine him."

"How did he seem this morning?" asked Ichigo, "I know Michio seemed to think he passed out because of the baby, but…"

"He seemed to be coping all right in general, but he was showing signs of some melancholy. But even so, it didn't seem as bad as before. He wasn't crying. He seemed collected."

"I am sure he is doing his best to cope," Byakuya sighed, "but I am still concerned."

"But Koji did say he seemed like he was better," Ichigo said bracingly, "Let's just let him have the little bit of space he seems to want, and we'll talk to him after breakfast if it seems like anything is really wrong."

Byakuya considered silently for a moment, then nodded briefly.

"As you wish. Although, I must confess, I do not know why you are so interested in having me share breakfast with your friends and you, Ichigo. You know I am fine with you having your time with them…"

"Yeah, but we're married…or kinda married. We'll be officially married once our baby is born. I'm happy about that and I wanna share that with them, and with you."

"But you do not have to include me," Byakuya persisted, "Even married couples do not shed all of their individuality, just because they are married. We can still do some things separately, and that is all right."

"But you're a big part of my life now," Ichigo explained, "Byakuya, I'm really, really happy we're together, and if you just spend some time with Chad, Uryu, Orihime and I, it would be a good thing."

"I do not usually associate closely with humans, and I left my teen years behind a hundred years ago," Byakuya reminded him, "You and your friends are much more…"

"What about Rukia?" Ichigo pointed out, "She's a shinigami, much older in years, but she fits right in. Just give them a chance. Talk to them a little. I know that you kinda intimidated them at first, but you only have to open up a little and you'll all be feeling right at home with each other in no time."

"Well, I would feel better if in the future we meet in Karakura Town to do things with them…just because there is a need for me to act with a certain amount of…"

"Right," Ichigo agreed, "You'll be more relaxed there. I thought about that, but I really wanted them to come here and see us and Tetsuya getting ready to have our baby. We can make more casual trips to Karakura Town later."

"Very well," Byakuya answered, relaxing slightly, "I will do my best to not be too intimidating while your friends are here."

"Good," Ichigo chuckled, stealing a kiss, then giving Koji a sheepish look as he suddenly realized the attendant was still in front of them, "Sorry. We'll just get outta here and we'll see Tetsuya at breakfast, after the healer visits."

"I will be sure to inform you right away if there is anything that seems like you would want to know," Koji promised.

He watched as the two exited the room, chatting more casually, then he turned back to make the bed.

"Koji," his brother called from the doorway, "there is a delivery that just arrived for Tetsuya-san. I think it's the material Byakuya-sama purchased for a few new things. We just need to know where to leave it."

"Oh, I'll come and take care of it," Koji said, nodding, "Akio, can you make the bed and attend Tetsuya-san for a moment. I should be back in time to dress him."

"Sure," Akio agreed, heading for the bed.

Koji headed quickly out the door, leaving his brother to his task. Akio started to make the bed, but paused upon noticing an odd, damp stain on the sheets. He pulled the bedding off and returned with a fresh set that he set in place before carrying the soiled set to the laundry. By the time he returned, he found Koji already in the dressing area.

"Thank you, Akio," Koji said, excusing him.

"No problem," his brother chuckled, heading back out the door.

Koji turned back to the handsome blue and green yukata he had laid out for Tetsuya, then he glanced at the bathroom door.

On the other side of the door, Tetsuya stood under the hot spray of the shower, carefully washing away the signs of his and Orochi's unholy encounter. Guilt seemed a heavy weight on his chest and tears leaked onto his soft cheeks and mixed with the droplets of water.

_What was I thinking?_

_Why would I go to him like that?_

_Why was Orochi waiting like he knew I would come to him?_

_Is he playing some kind of game with me…or…are the two of us caught in some kind of wicked mutual obsession? I know in my heart that what I did was wrong, but at the same time, even knowing it was wrong, I responded to him. He was cruel to me, but my body became aroused._

_I am so ashamed._

_I can never let this happen again._

_Never._

_I must stay far away from Orochi now._


End file.
